Rob Gronkowski talks Wildcats, TV roles, shoots down NFL return at Arizona Bowl luncheon

Before his first Super Bowl victory, before his first television commercial, before he could casually drop lines like “I was with Shaq the other day,” Rob Gronkowski was just an underage University of Arizona student trying to get into a bar.

So imagine the superstar tight end’s joy when, a year ago, he finally set foot inside Gentle Ben’s for the first time. Gronkowski was just 20 — too young to legally drink — when he left the UA (and Tucson) for a Hall of Fame-caliber career with the NFL’s Patriots and Buccaneers.

“Unbelievable,” Gronkowski said of his first late-night Ben’s trip. “It was a dream come true. It took me until my 30s to get there.”

Gronkowski, 33, just might return to the University Avenue bar during his sun-soaked weekend in Tucson. Gronkowski was the keynote speaker at Thursday’s Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl luncheon, where former Wildcat Donnie Salum, a family friend, presented him with the Dick Tomey Arizona Strong Award in front of a sellout crowd of 1,000 at the Tucson Convention Center.

Gronkowski attended Thursday’s UA football practice. Saturday, he’ll serve as the Wildcats’ honorary captain when they take on No. 10 USC at Arizona Stadium.

The recently retired Gronkowski laughed easily and often on Thursday as he talked with media about his time in college. He also shot down an NFL return and discussed his burgeoning career as a commercial pitchman. Here’s some of what he said:

What’s your schedule like now?

A: “Yeah, I’m a little bit busy. You know, I keep it a little light, not too crazy. I still like to be active. I still like to work out, do activities. That’s gonna be part of my daily routine throughout my life.”

What kind of interaction have you had with UA coach Jedd Fisch?

A: “Coach Fisch, he’s the man I love him. I love his energy. I think he represents the program the way it needs to be represented, and he’s a great coach. He’s a great fit, and he’s turning the program around. It’s not going to happen overnight. You know, on the first day he became the head coach, he actually hit me up because he was actually with the Patriots for a little bit. We just hit it off from there, which has been great.”

What’s your message to the current Wildcats?

A: “Just work hard, stay committed to the whole process and expect to win every time you hit the field and, you know, play together as a team. ... Put the team first and make the plays when your number is called.”

What do you make of this year’s team?

A: “The offense is looking sharp. But I mean, we’re not gonna lie. We need some players on the defense. We’ve got to make some plays. I mean, USC is coming into town; they put up about 40 points a game, so we’ve got to be able to stop them. The offense is looking sharp, but to all the players out there in transfer portal: You play defense? Come to Arizona. We could use your help. Hopefully, we can step it up a little, baby.”

What does winning the Dick Tomey Arizona Strong Award mean?

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A: “It means a lot. It’s definitely an honor to be here representing Coach Tomey. You know, I’ve heard so many great things about him throughout the years from all the ex-players that played for him.”

It seems like you’re in every other TV commercial. What’s your transition from athlete to personality been like?

A: “Like I say, I’m the No. 1-paid actor for my time. You’ve got all these Hollywood stars, but I go in and shoot a commercial for one minute. ... You just go in for the day, knock out a couple lines, a couple commercials throughout a couple of days and then everyone thinks I’m super-busy. Like, ‘Man, you must be shooting every day.’ I’m like, ‘I just shot a couple commercials in three days and then they air ‘em.’”

Is that ever weird for you? I mean, the TV’s on and there’s you?

A: “At first, it was, for sure. I just thought I was really awkward on TV and everything (for) like first couple years. I was like, I can’t watch the commercial or watch whatever I’m doing. But now it’s kind of just like a daily routine, seeing it. You’ve definitely got to own it.

“I was with Shaq (O’Neal) the other day, actually, and we’re debating who has more commercials. I think Shaq definitely wins; he’s on like 100 throughout the last 10 years. It’s fun to do it.”

How much do you miss playing on the football field?

A: “I definitely miss the competition. And that’s why I would say I love doing activities still. No matter what it is. I’m playing ping-pong, cornhole, basketball, volleyball, whatever. Even cards: Rummy 500, I’m just always trying to compete. I also miss the guys in the locker room and everything. But the game of football? I stepped away for a reason. And you know, I definitely do miss it a little bit, but not not enough that I’ve wanted to go back.

What happens if your phone buzzes and it’s Tom Brady?

A: “I’ll go in and I’ll give him a pep talk (laughs). He knows. He respects my decision. He understands it 100%. I’m a big fan of his and I’m cheering for him every week.”

How many people in your inner circle are people who you met at the UA?

A: “A few. Start with the No. 1 (alumnus), Donnie Salum. I would have never came to U of A without him. He introduced me to the U of A and I got many friends still, a dozen or so friends, and then I stay in touch with some of the coaches still.

“It’s a great group of people. Everyone that I meet from U of A when I’m on the outside, in Boston, in Florida, you just hit it off with everybody who went to the University of Arizona.”