Latest news with #RobGronkowski
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why Tight End Is the Glamour Position of Sports
Why Tight End Is the Glamour Position of Sports originally appeared on Athlon Sports. No position in the NFL and maybe all of pro sports has changed more than tight end over the years. For it to turn into a glamour position would have been nearly unthinkable 40 years ago, when they were mainly blockers. But here we are. Tight ends are dating pop stars, getting drafted high and making more noise than ever before. Advertisement This week, 'Tight End University' met for the fourth time since its inception in 2021. What started as a clever but small-scale idea from Travis Kelce, George Kittle and Greg Olsen is now a signature offseason event. The amazing thing for tight ends ... this is just the beginning. They're evolving rapidly and will just get better in coming years. Here are seven reasons why tight end is the hottest position in football... 1. They win Kelce and Kittle demanded the respect to form Tight End University because they've appeared in a combined seven Super Bowls. Add five more for fellow Tight End U participant Rob Gronkowski. Advertisement 'If you look at the past 10 Super Bowl winners,' Kittle said to ESPN, 'every team has either a Gronk, a Kelce... Dallas Goedert.... you have an elite tight end." The teams that haven't quite made the Super Bowl also rely heavily on the position. Look at the top offenses from last season: The Ravens, who had the No. 1 offense last season, have Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely. Sam LaPorta is a key part of Detroit's No. 2-ranked offense and Cade Otten emerged as a weapon in the No. 3 offense, Tampa Bay. 2. They're matchup nightmares Tight ends are the perfect weapon for the modern game. Defensive players have gotten smaller to counter passing attacks. The elite tight ends overwhelm defensive backs. If the defense tries a bigger linebacker, they can't match the speed. Having smaller defensive linemen also means faster, lighter tight ends can compete when blocking at the point of attack. Advertisement Offensive coaches, both in the NFL and college, are taking advantage. The rate of 12 personnel — one back and two tight ends on the field — has been steadily rising. The new breed of elite coordinators like Ben Johnson and Kellen Moore are adept at using tight ends, and many college coaches are following suit. It's a copycat league. When the good offenses have success, everyone will follow. 3. They've evolved into elite athletes Decades ago, 6-foot-5, 245-pound athletes who could run a 4.5-4.6 40 were rare. Now they're everywhere. And they have moves. And they can catch. They came up playing 7-on-7 just like receivers. In this year's NFL Draft, No. 10 pick Colston Loveland came in at 6-6, 248 pounds and No. 14 pick Tyler Warren is 6-5, 256 pounds. They both can move and cut at an elite level already. Every year, more incredible athletes come into the league at the position. Advertisement Credit former college basketball players like Antonio Gates and Jimmy Graham, whose combination of height and agility helped usher in a new era. Or teams turn receivers into tight ends, like Darren Waller. The most physically unique tight end might be Kyle Pitts (6-6, 246), who went No. 4 overall to the Falcons in 2021. Unfortunately for the Falcons, Pitts hasn't lived up to expectations. 4. They still have linemen mentality We know the clichés. Wide receivers are divas. Tight ends are more salt of the earth. While those stereotypes aren't always true, tight ends seem to have more humility. No matter how many catches they have, tight ends still have to block. Even Kelce, arguably the greatest pass-catching tight end of all time, is 35 and was getting after guys last year when the Chiefs transitioned to a more conservative offense. Advertisement Gronkowski was as talented a blocker as most offensive linemen and personified that mentality. He would do whatever was needed for the Patriots, even as he became one of the biggest stars in the league. 5. They're entertainers Call it the Taylor Effect. Back in the day, tight ends didn't have enough swag to pull a music star. As fantastic as Mark Bavaro was in the '80s, he never dated Madonna. Now, Kelce not only dates Taylor Swift, he's roped her into the tight end community by convincing her to perform at this year's TEU. It's no accident that Gronkowski, Kelce and Kittle have gotten involved with WWE events. They feel like naturals. Kittle recently said that after he retires, he wants to transition straight into pro wrestling. Advertisement When Athlon Sports caught up with WWE superstar Seth 'Freakin'' Rollins at the Super Bowl earlier this year, he backed up this idea — two of his three picks for NFL players who would be great wrestlers were tight ends: 6. The new TE superstar Even as stars such as Kelce and Kittle are on the back nine of their careers, the position has a clear new star: Brock Bowers of the Raiders. The 2024 crop of rookies featured several outstanding wide receivers — Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr., Marvin Harrison Jr., Ladd McConkey, Rome Odunze — yet it was Bowers who led all rookies with 112 receptions. 7. They have their own day Tight ends even have a holiday – the fourth Sunday in October has been 'National Tight End Day' since 2019. No other position is honored in the same way. Last season, tight ends celebrated by catching 16 touchdowns and a single-day record 177 passes. The day keeps growing. If you're a defensive coordinator, you might want to bracket the other team's tight end this year. Advertisement Related: LeBron James, 'Ring Culture' and 10 Quarterbacks That Need to Win a Super Bowl Related: Former NFL Great Jimmy Graham's Next Challenge: the Arctic Ocean This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Patriots win award for 'Good Jules Hunting' schedule release video
The New England Patriots were recognized by the 2024 Hashtag Sports Awards this week for winning the Best Short-Form Video for their Good Jules Hunting schedule release last year. It was an elaborate and fun spoof of the Academy Award-winning 1997 film Good Will Hunting. The video was created as a trailer and featured Patriots legends Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski. It was a clever way to drop a regular season schedule, as opposed to the highly criticized egg dropping skit the Patriots went with this year. According to the official website, the Hashtag Sports Awards celebrates the "best content, campaigns, and entertainment that set the benchmark for fan engagement and define culture and creativity." NFL teams are getting more creative every year in how they approach the schedule releases. The Patriots went all in with Edelman in the Good Jules Hunting video. Former Patriots head coach and two-time Pro Bowler Jerod Mayo, former longtime football research director Ernie Adams and owner Robert Kraft all made appearances. Patriots fans can only hope there's more where that came from. Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
USA Today
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Legendary TE Rob Gronkowski puts on Patriots uniform one more time
Will the real Rob Gronkowski please stand up? That was the question at Fanatics Fest when an army of Gronkowski look-alikes swarmed the stage at the event. Fanatics held their annual fan fest in New York City over the weekend. It's an event where sports fans gather to buy, sell and trade sports memorabilia and collectibles. Fans also got an opportunity to meet their favorite celebrities and athletes. Gronkowski, Julian Edelman and even Tom Brady made an appearance at the event. During Gronkowski's grand entrance, fans were tasked with trying to find the real Gronkowski among a bunch of look-alikes. The real Gronkowski eventually revealed himself wearing a full Patriots uniform. This was the first time in a while that Gronkowski suited up in a Patriots uniform. It was a fun moment for fans to see the four-time Super Bowl champion tight end don the blue jersey at least one more time. The memories and history achieved during Gronkowski's run in New England will never be forgotten. Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
Time of India
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
"Went with our hoodies up": Camille Kostek, once 'judged' by NFL wives, shares how NFL rules forced her to keep relationship with Rob Gronkowski a secret
Camille Kostek opens up on rule-breaking romance with Gronk (Getty Images) Camille Kostek, widely known for gracing the pages of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, has peeled back the curtain on what life was really like as the girlfriend of NFL star Rob Gronkowski. In a heartfelt conversation on Kristin Cavallari's Honestly Cavallari: The Headline Tour, Kostek didn't shy away from discussing the judgment she faced behind the glitz and glam of being with a professional athlete. NFL wives allegedly snubbed Camille Kostek over marriage status The 33-year-old model revealed she felt dismissed by other NFL wives simply because she wasn't married. 'I felt like I was seen as a lesser-than girlfriend because I didn't have a ring on my finger,' she admitted during the live show in Boston. Her honesty resonated even more as she added, 'But you want to know what's so interesting about that? The woman that's coming to mind [who] judged me the most, she's divorced.' Camille and Gronk's relationship dates back to 2015, though their first encounter happened in 2013, when she was a Patriots cheerleader and he was already a rising tight end with the team. From that moment, their connection grew stronger, but not without facing a few storms. 'Rob and I met when I was 21 years old, and we've been in each other's lives for 10 years,' she shared. Camille Kostek had to bend NFL rules for love—her secret first date with Rob Gronkowski Camille Kostek's first date with Rob Gronkowski wasn't just memorable—it was borderline covert. While speaking at Super Bowl 2025 in New Orleans, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit star shared a behind-the-scenes look at how their relationship started under strict boundaries set by the NFL. Back in 2013, when Gronkowski was in his third year with the New England Patriots, and Kostek had just joined the team's cheerleading squad, romance was off-limits. But the connection between them couldn't be ignored. 'Our first date was very undercover because I was a cheerleader for the New England Patriots and you're not allowed to date the players but I was a bad girl,' Kostek said. 'We went to the movies at Patriot Place in the lux level and we went with our hoodies up. ' Their relationship, which began after a charity event, had to be hidden from the start. Despite the early secrecy, the couple eventually went public in 2015 and have since become one of the most beloved pairs in sports entertainment. Today, what started as a rule-breaking romance has blossomed into a strong, enduring bond—proving that sometimes, the best love stories start with a little rebellion. Also Read: Leaked emails shed light on Jordon Hudson's role in Bill Belichick's controversial CBS appearance Follow all the live updates, scores, and highlights from the India vs England Test match here . Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
Time of India
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'I was seen as a lesser-than girlfriend': Rob Gronkowski's longtime lover Camille Kostek was judged by NFL WAGs for not having a ring on her finger
(Image via Getty: Rob Gronkowski and Camille Kostek) Why do women judge other women so much? A multi-million dollar question with no definite answer. 'It's just how women are,' 'That's her upbringing,' 'Women are inherently jealous,' 'Never content,' 'They find ways to bring other women down,' and 'Women judge each other on appearance. ' The last reason? That's what happened with Rob Gronkowski's longtime girlfriend, Camille Kostek. She has been with Gronkowski for the past ten years, but her NFL WAGs clan? They are so stuck with Beyonce's Single Ladies track! - 'If you like it, then you should have put a ring on it.' Long story short? Kostek put forth her unfiltered thoughts about NFL WAGs. She said, 'I felt like I was seen as a lesser-than girlfriend because I didn't have a ring on my finger.' 'The woman who judged me the most, she's divorced,' reveals 33-year-old American Model Camille Kostek about an unnamed NFL WAG — eentertainment (@eentertainment) The Sports Illustrated model made a guest appearance on one episode of Kristin Cavallari's Honestly Cavallari: The Headline Tour. Kristin asked Kostek, 'When everybody found out that you were dating Rob, the other WAGs, how did they treat you?' Camille said the 'energy was off' between her other NFL WAGs. She elaborated, 'I felt like I was seen as a lesser-than girlfriend because I didn't have a ring on my finger. But you want to know what's so interesting about that? The woman that's coming to mind(who) judged me the most, she's divorced.' An NFL WAG who divorced her partner was judging Camille Kostek for not being engaged or married to Rob Gronkowski! Talk about double standards. Talk about hypocrisy. 'The best things came from this f**king breakup': Camille Kostek talks about her breakup with Rob Gronkowski In that episode, Camille Kostek also talked about a roadblock in her long-lasting love story with Rob Gronkowski. It was a breakup that changed her life's direction. She chased her dream after that heartbreaking breakup with the former TE of the New England Patriots. She shared, 'Rob and I met when I was 21 years old. And we've been in each other's lives for 10 years. My first breakup was in 2017, but I think that some of the best things that changed the trajectory of my life came from this f**king breakup that broke me but also allowed me to get in the zone. I didn't care about dating. I felt like I was asexual.' Also Read: 'Evading arrest lil bro?' Antonio Brown, who was under house arrest for attempted murder with a firearm, has left the United States of America | NFL News - Times of India Follow all the live updates, scores, and highlights from the India vs England Test match here . Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
