Rob Gronkowski has gained a few titles during his professional career: Super Bowl winner, All-Pro tight end, WWE champion and now ... Guinness World Record holder.Β
The former Arizona Wildcat and Tampa Bay Buccaneers star, who is in Tucson for the first time in over a decade to serve as an honorary coach for the UA's spring game on Saturday at noon, set a record for "highest altitude catch of an American football" Friday evening.Β
Former Wildcat Rob Gronkowski set the Guinness record for the highest altitude catch of an American football at the University of Arizona Friday. Video courtesy University of Arizona Athletics.
.@RobGronkowski returns in style for his last catch in Arizona Stadium! @CoachJeddFisch @GWR #BearDown #ItsPersonal pic.twitter.com/7jqCqyL9lg
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) April 24, 2021
While donning a custom navy blue No. 48 (his number in college) Arizona jersey over shoulder pads and a helmet, "Gronk" caught a football that was dropped from a helicopter hovering 600 feet above the turf at Arizona Stadium. Upon catching the football, the video board at Arizona Stadium flipped to a "World Record Broken" screen, and pandemonium broke out. Current Wildcats rushed to Gronkowski standing midfield and celebrated with the most decorated NFL Cat of all time.Β
UA legend Tedy Bruschi, who is coaching against Gronkowski in Saturday's spring game, filmed the record-breaking sequence.Β
Gronk with another all-time moment! Rob Gronkowski sets a world record after catching a football dropped by a helicopter 600 feet in the air. Reaction? Priceless. (Via Tedy Bruschi) pic.twitter.com/3OffRI0oBN
— Justin Spears (@JustinESports) April 24, 2021
The previous record was set in 2017 at TCU, when Tyler Toney caught a ball that was dropped from 563 feet as part of a "Dude Perfect" YouTube video series. Four years later and the title belongs to Gronkowski.Β
Team Gronk will take on Team Bruschi for Arizona's spring game on Saturday at noon at Arizona Stadium. The game will also be aired on Pac-12 Networks.Β
