Gronkowski Wins Over London Fans With TD Celebrations
BOSTON (CBS) - It didn't take Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski very long to become a fan favorite in New England.
So it should come as no surprise he took over the "old" England just as quickly.
Gronkowski's two touchdown effort in the Patriots 45-7 win over the St. Louis Rams at Wembley Stadium on Sunday was just half of what has the fans going bonkers for Gronk. It's his patented spikes, and celebrations that went with them, that has everyone loving the tight end overseas.
He gave everyone a taste Saturday night, spiking a microphone while on stage at a Fan event, but showed them the real thing on Sunday.
Following his first touchdown on the day, Gronkowski gave his best impression of the changing of the guard, marching back and forth in the end zone with the ball tucked under his arm, followed of course by the famous Gronkowski spike.
Although, he seemed a little confused as to what exactly he was doing after the game.
"That little nutcracker dude that's guarding the house," Gronkowski replied when asked what his his first celebration was all about. "I like how he sits there but doesn't stay still. I give that one the Chandler (Jones), he told me to do it."
Gronk On TD Celebrations:
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"(I was) just having some fun out there with the team," he said. "The first one was the guy that guards the palace; how he just walks back and forth. It's cool to learn tradition."
"I don't know what the hell he was doing [on] that first one," Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said following the game. "He needs some work on that."
Brady must not have seen Gronkowski's second celebration.
Following his 14-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, which capped off an eight reception, 146 yard day for Gronkowski, he showed all of Europe his dance moves.
But even Gronk doesn't know what his hula hoop-like dance was all about. Or at least he wasn't saying.
"I don't know, You've got to ask Deion (Branch)," he said with a smirk. "He knows."
Gronkowski On Sports Final:
Like his new fans overseas, Gronkowski's teammates enjoy watching him work -- whether it be scoring touchdowns or celebrating after.
"He's always coming up with something," nose tackle Vince Wilfork said with a chuckle. "He's a funny guy."
"I always say, if somebody [doesn't] like him, that person has a problem because he's very likable. Gronk is just one of those guys that you can't get mad at," added Wilfork. "Even if [he does] something wrong, you yell at him but you feel bad yelling at him."
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Gronk could do no wrong Sunday afternoon, but made sure to praise the offense as a whole following the win.
"We were just doing a great job running the ball... When you run the ball well, things happen and open up," he said when asked why -- despite all his success -- he seems to always be wide open.
"We can be capable of anything; it's how hard you work as a team, how you go out there and execute as a team," he said of the now 5-3 Patriots. "Everyone did a great job, from defense to offense. We all executed and all played hard, and it turned out great. We just can't let down from here."
