Rob Gronkowski’s Hilarious Financial Decision Left Him With $0 in His Bank During College

When it comes to NFL players who’d probably be awesome to have a beer with, Rob Gronkowski has to be at or near the top of the list. The guy just seems like he exudes fun, and if his stories are anything to go by, he was a riot in college.

Gronkowski attended the University of Arizona from 2007 to 2009 alongside his brother, Chris. Rob was a tight end, while Chris, three years his senior, played fullback. The pair were pumped to be joining Arizona, not just for the football, but for the freedom.

After they got their own place on campus during Rob’s freshman year in 2007, the brothers pooled all the money they had in the world to make one big purchase they absolutely couldn’t live without: a hot tub. However, the big-ticket item essentially left Gronk broke for the rest of the year.

“I had no money in college because my brother and I, we put all our money together that was left in our bank account and we bought a hot tub the first three weeks we were at the University of Arizona. Literally, we drained our bank accounts… they were at $0,” recalled the former tight end on Dudes on Dudes podcast.

Luckily, Gronk is a man of simple tastes. He’s low maintenance. He doesn’t need much. In fact, he revealed that while he was in college, all he needed was 15 bucks a week. That would cover food and beer, and that’s “all [he] needed, folks.”

“All I needed was 15 bucks a week, and I was satisfied, it got the job done. It got me a 30-pack, and it got me lunch. That’s all I needed… that’s all I needed, folks.”

If you were born in the mid-1990s or later, you’re probably aghast at how far Gronkowski could stretch 15 bucks back then. Twenty years later, a college football player can barely buy a six-pack for the same amount. Although, thanks to NIL, they’re making a lot more money now than Rob and his brother probably were back then, so budgeting isn’t as much of a concern.

Gronkowski may have been having as much fun as possible on 15 bucks a week while he was at Arizona, but he was getting it done on the football field just as well as he was at his dorm/bar. He took just 28 receptions for a whopping 525 yards and six TDs as a freshman. He was even better as a sophomore, going for 672 yards from 47 receptions, and a conference-leading 10 TD catches.

After that, the youngest Gronk left college early to enter the 2010 NFL Draft alongside his brother, Chris. Chris went undrafted and signed with the Dallas Cowboys to kick off what would be an uneventful four-year career. Rob, meanwhile, was taken in the second round by the New England Patriots, and went on to have a Hall of Fame career. He may even go down as the greatest tight end of all time.

Could he have reached those heights without a hot tub during his freshman year? Probably not.