Rob Gronkowski—aka Gronk—has built a legacy as one of the NFL’s most dominant tight ends. But his reputation as a powerhouse player might only be overshadowed by his even more dynamic reputation as a colorful personality. He’s got the moves on the field and the ability to drop jaw-dropping comments off it. And, true to form, Gronk recently gave the world another glimpse into just how far he’s willing to go for a laugh… this time, talking about checking out his teammates in the shower.
Yes, folks. Rob Gronkowski isn’t shy about sharing his locker room musings, and he’s totally unbothered by the idea of commenting on “cheeks” and “other parts.” So when he was reminiscing on a few memories from his time with the New England Patriots, naturally, he couldn’t resist bringing up the subject of his—let’s say—“observations” in the showers.
During a recent episode of his “Dudes on Dudes” podcast with his ex-Patriots teammate Julian Edelman, Gronkowski dove right into the kind of story you’d expect from him. The tale involved his brother, Dan Gronkowski, who joined the team for a brief period in 2011—during what turned out to be Gronk’s best season in the NFL.
Here’s where it gets interesting: Gronkowski casually reminded his brother about a little exchange that Dan had with Edelman. And let’s just say, it was a “memorable” moment—at least for Gronk.
When he brought it up, Gronk asked, “When Julian looked at you in the shower and said that you have a way bigger piece than me?” Dan’s response? Classic Dan: “I heard that a lot from a lot of people.”
Apparently, Dan was not as fazed by the comment, considering it a regular occurrence. But wait, it gets better. According to Edelman, Gronk wasn’t shy about giving other guys’ “pieces” his unsolicited attention. In fact, he’d often give a “compliment” on his teammates’ size when they were in less-than-private spaces like urinals. Edelman recalled hearing Gronk’s towering figure behind the privacy partition say, “Wow Jules, your piece looks big today actually.”
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So let’s break this down, shall we? Straight athletes, particularly the ones in the NFL, apparently can’t resist checking each other out in the locker room—whether in the shower, by the urinal, or anywhere else where there’s skin on display. And it’s not just a casual glance. No, no. These guys are offering verbal affirmations about the size of each other’s manhood.
This all begs the question: Why do straight athletes seem to have such an intense fascination with their teammates’ physiques? As much as some would love to argue that a gay teammate in the locker room is a potential issue (because, apparently, a gay guy looking at another guy’s body is just unacceptable), the truth is the straight guys seem to have their own “obsession.”
It’s almost as though their entire sense of hierarchy in the locker room is linked to the size of their… well, you know. Former NFL player Esera Tuaolo, who came out as gay after his playing days, shared his own experience of being hyper-aware of any lingering stares. As he put it, any prolonged attention on another guy’s body could lead to serious assumptions about his sexuality, especially in a hyper-masculine setting like the NFL locker room.
But for Gronk? He’s all about making the atmosphere light, cheeky (pun intended), and completely unfazed by the idea of his straight teammates admiring each other’s anatomy. In fact, he even admitted that if he had a gay teammate, he’d be “cool” with it, as he has no problem with different sexual orientations. Yet, Gronk’s own behavior kind of flips the script on the whole “locker room anxiety” about gay players. It’s the straight guys who seem to have an unspoken obsession with each other’s… “assets.”
But beyond the jokes and Gronk’s antics, there’s an important takeaway here: maybe it’s time to stop overcomplicating things. The locker room is a space where people—regardless of their sexuality—are simply trying to exist in close proximity to each other, engage in friendly banter, and yes, maybe even give a little cheeky compliment about each other’s bodies. It’s about time we stopped pretending the straight guys are as averse to sharing space with their LGBTQ+ teammates as some would suggest.
Oh, and just for the record: Gronk, who is third in NFL touchdowns for tight ends (behind only Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez), still dominates the field with an impressive 3.9 points per game. But with the way he’s handling locker room banter, he’s winning hearts everywhere—even if he’s not keeping track of who’s eyeing his… physique.
In the immortal words of his former teammate Tom Brady: Gronk’s “amazing.” And his sense of humor? Just as stellar.
And as for the rest of the locker room? Maybe they’re all just a little too obsessed with the idea of what’s going on below the belt. Gronk sure isn’t shy about it.
So, here’s to all the cheeky moments we don’t see in the locker room—because sometimes, it’s the most human parts of an athlete that are the most entertaining.
Source: DudeonDudes