Rob Gronkowski Unwittingly Messed With Roger Goodell, Assuming It Was A Prank Call
BOSTON (CBS) -- If you're going to call Rob Gronkowski, you better hope that your name is in his list of contacts. Otherwise, you're liable to be messed with.
Someone who recently learned that lesson was none other than Roger Goodell. The commissioner of the NFL dialed up the retired tight end recently to share the good news that he had been named to the NFL 100 All-Time Team. Goodell likely expected a very pleasant conversation with Gronkowski. Instead, he got something entirely different.
Gronkowski shared the story in an interview on Pardon My Take:
So I get a phone call from New York, and it's no caller ID. And I'm just sitting there, like, 'Man, I don't want to answer this phone call.' Like, I don't want to answer it. But you know, I'm bored, I'm sitting there debating, and so I don't answer.
So then it calls back again, and I'm like, 'Aw, I'll answer it, whatever. I'm gonna mess around. Let me mess around with this phone call.'
So I answer it and I'm like, [high-pitch] 'Hellooooooo? Hellooooooooo? Who is this?'
'Hey, Rob, uh, this is Roger Goodell. This is Roger Goodell, is this Rob Gronkowski?'
And I was like [high-pitch] 'Hellooooooo? Helloooooo?' And I'm just thinking like, man, this is why I don't answer. People are pranking me. People prank me.
'Rob. This is Roger Goodell. I'm looking for Rob Gronkowski.'
'Yeah helloooooooo? Hellloooooooo?'
'Is Rob Gronkowski there?'
'Helloooooooooo?'
And then I just hang up. I'm like, 'Yeah, they're not getting me.'
So then like two days later, the phone call, it comes back again. And I'm sitting there like yeah, no way. I'm not answering. That's definitely not him. Like he would have left me a message on the other two phone calls I didn't answer.
So later that day then, he calls again – I mean, the number calls again. And then this time they leave a voicemail, and I was like, OK, finally they leave a voicemail. And I listened to the voicemail and it ends up being Roger Goodell again. 'Hey Rob, it's Roger Goodell. Just looking for you. I'm not sure if this is the right number or not.' That's what he says. 'And I just wanted to congratulate you, man, you have made the top 100 players of all time.'
And I'm just sitting there like man, I'm not sure. But when I did hang up the first time, I was thinking in my head like, it kind of sounded like him. But that was classic. But I go, if it was him, he'll find a way to contact me another way.
To make this story shorter, it ended up being him.
Gronkowski at that point realized that he had to return the call of the commissioner. Fortunately, no awkwardness ensued.
I called the office back that he told me to call. I called him back and talked to him, and he didn't bring up anything about that phone call. But when I see him, I can't wait to bring it up. I'm gonna be like, 'Yo, who did you think that was going, 'Helllloooooooo? Who is this?'
Gronk of course made the All-Time Team, along with Mike Ditka, Tony Gonzalez, John Mackey and Kellen Winslow at the tight end position. Gronk's former quarterback, Tom Brady, also made the All-Time Team. And it wouldn't be a sports interview in 2020 if Gronkowski wasn't asked where his former teammate will be playing football next season.
Gronkowski jokingly read a fake text from Brady: "Hey Rob, it would be an honor if you asked to get released from your rights. I'd love for you to play with me in Chicago next year, so we can hang out with Big Cat more."
Suffice it to say, Gronkowski's not spilling that story any time soon.
"I really am not sure. I know he's going to check out his options. I can give you that much," Gronkowski said.
