Sports
Rob Gronkowski spikes one more football as Tom Brady watches him enter the Patriots Hall of Fame
Rob Gronkowski was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame on Saturday with Tom Brady on stage then finished his speech with a trademark spike.
Gronk went out the only way Gronk could.
Rob Gronkowski was officially inducted into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame on Saturday in front of thousands of fans on the plaza outside Gillette Stadium. He ended his speech by dancing and drilling a football into the stage.
"I'm a Patriot for Life. Now let's fiesta!" Gronkowski shouted before the spike.
Brady first in line
Tom Brady was the first to hug his old tight end after the spike. The two sat side by side on stage in their red Hall of Fame jackets. Brady was in town to call Sunday's Packers-Patriots game on television.
"Nothing and no one is ever matching what we did over the run we had," Gronkowski said. He showed up in bright red pants and a white dress shirt with red buttons.
The numbers behind the party
Gronkowski played nine seasons in New England. The Patriots won nine AFC East titles in that span, reached eight AFC Championship Games and played in four Super Bowls.
He finished his Patriots career with 521 catches for 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns in the regular season plus 81 catches for 1,163 yards and 12 touchdowns in the playoffs. He also spent two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Fans pick the Patriots Hall of Fame class. Gronkowski grew up in Western New York but now lives full time in Massachusetts.
"New England will always be home," he said, "and I will always love you guys."
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