It's Good to Be Gronk

by Rob Gronkowski, Jason Rosenhaus

New England Patriots record-breaking tight-end Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski offers fans a front row seat to a football superstar’s life on and off the field.

“One of the best tight ends the game has ever seen. Off the field, he’s unabashedly the cruise director of the NFL.” —New York Post

Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski holds nine league-wide records and three Patriots franchise records. His accomplishments include thirty-eight receiving touchdowns in his first three seasons (thirteen more than any other tight end in the NFL) and the 2011 record for most touchdowns made by a tight end, with seventeen receiving and eighteen overall. With a Super Bowl victory under his belt and a nationwide reputation for a personality that’s “comedy gold” (CBS Sports), he has continued to win the hearts of fans through his fun-loving attitude.

From hamming it up at Super Bowl Media Day, to spicing up interviews with “Gronk-esque” dance moves, to cuddling with kittens in the pages of ESPN The Magazine, to christening a used party bus his ride of choice, Gronk’s good humor and playful persona make it seem like other players are “living in black and white, and Gronk is in color” (CBS Sports). But it’s not all fun and games. After multiple surgeries on his forearms, ankle, and back, Gronk tore his ACL and MCL, prematurely ending his 2013 season (but not before scoring four touchdowns and 592 receiving yards). His many injuries and subsequent recoveries made his key play in Super Bowl XLIX—which led to victory and the title of “Comeback Player of the Year”—all the sweeter. Gronk takes fans from the field to the locker room to the VIP room to the talk show green room to his parents’ kitchen table—a full tour of the world according to Gronk.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, Football, Autobiography

224 pages, Hardcover

First published July 14, 2015

Reviews

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Gronk” is my favorite tight end of all time, the book is only good if your a football fan.

11 NFL seasons - 9 with New England, 2 with Tampa Bay.
4 Super Bowl wins - 3 with New England & 1 with Tampa Bay.

The book is good describing how he grew up with up with 4 brothers as athletic as him - “rough & tough” as him. It was a surprise to see how all reached the professional leagues.

YouTube - First touchdown in super bowl 55 against Tampa Bay

Gronk, his 4 brothers & dad.
3 were NFL players- Dan, Chris, Glen.
Gordie Jr. was Minor League Baseball, started/runs the family businesses.




YouTube - 3 minutes long - only watch if your a Gronk fan



Super Bowl 2021 - Tampa Bay 31 - Kansas City 9





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****** found & added March 14, 2021 - 2 minutes long
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YouTube - Tom Brady & Rob Gronkowski Double Dips for 2 TDs | Super Bowl LV Highlights

[Patricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been questioning what I thought I was going to find in the first place when I read this book. I didn't really expect a literary masterpiece, but it's been a while since I've read anything that sounded like it was written by a high school student. The Gronk is probably a sweetheart in person, and likely a lot of fun. I felt like testosterone was literally dripping off the pages. To be fair, I did fly through this book. But no 23-year-old should be writing a life story to begin with. I can summarize sort of the main chapters. I can't imagine these are spoilers.

First chapter: A boy and his brothers beat each other up a lot, but it's fun. Detailed accounts of which brothers fought, how often, with size and age differences. This went on for 14 pages.
Next chapters: Detailed accounts of every game, with at least one key play, for the next few years of high school and college.
Next: PARTY TIME!!! (I had to take away a full star because the horrible LMFAO song about party rockers was in my head for a week) A chapter actually starts with the words "I didn't just go to college to party with hot chicks."
Next: Adversity and injuries. He did have some, and it was actually inspiring to hear about his will to get through them.
NFL: More detailed accounts of every game in every season. The ups and downs of the NFL season and getting to the superbowls, or not. Some more party stories.

I was actually pretty surprised by all the decent reviews this book got. I guess people really do love The Gronk as much as he thinks they do. (Side note - I warmed up to him a bit at the end when he talked about the kids with cancer inspiring him. Before that I thought he was all meathead.) This book would probably be great for aspiring jocks at middle school level. The guy doesn't do drugs, so he's probably a good influence to them.

[Stef Campbell]

It's good to be Gronk is a Front row seat to the life of Gronk. I really enjoyed this book and rated it five stars. It's one thing to see a professional athlete on t.v. And you see who they are now, but thorugh the book you learn about who they were and how they grew to become the person they are. In this book I learned about Gronks career starting from when he first starte football and how he trained and trained and trained with the best trainers and doctors in the country to become the athlete he is today. I think the book did an outstanding job on different events in Gronk's life that made him the man he is today such as his back surgery, his college and high school football Careers, his arm and knee surger, but not only the professions aspect of his life but they incorporated his main motivation: his family. Gronk's family is what motivates him and keeps him going and helped mold him since day one. His brothers would fight and mess around as kids and to this day they still do the same thing. The book not only captures his professional career, but it also captures his personal life, which is a side the media doesn't see. Weaknesses of the book were putting in how much he partied in college and high school, but it was also an important aspect because it is who he is and what he did. Overall I really enjoyed the book and thought it was well constructed and written.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good quick read, loved the insight into Gronk's life on and off the field. His determination to come back after career ending injuries (3) shows you the type of hardworking person he is. Also, liked reading into his "partying" lifestyle and some of the stories he shares about partying with his brothers.

[Kevin Pochowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's Good to be Gronk is an absolutely amazing read for anybody who considers themselves to be a true sports fan. I read this book for my high school English class, and I must say it quickly became one of my favorite books. I went into the book as a football fan, but when I finished the book, I was a Gronk fan.
Gronk goes into great detail about the way that he thinks on a day to day basis about his everyday life, and how it feels to be Gronk. From the perspective which the book is written, you can really get a feel of what it is like to be Rob Gronkowski. Gronk dives into stories from throughout his childhood and how it made him the person he is today, as well as some very interesting stories from his college and professional life. The best stories, however, come from Gronk's life outside of football where he is best described as a party animal. A personal favorite of mine was his "slip and slide." One of the most interesting things to take away from this book is how Gronk's extraordinarily crazy party life has a minimal effect on his professional life, while he is also able to maximize his success in the NFL. So many other professonal athletes live a similar lifestlyle to Gronk, but end up failing in the end due to things such as drugs. Gronk however, is able to control himself in a manner where he can have fun, yet still be as successful as humanly possible.
Overall, this book is fantastic and is almost a must read for any sports fan who can get their hands on it.

[Ben Wilichoski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite book I ever read. I'm a huge fan of Gronk and I thought it was cool learning about his life. Gronk talks about his childhood, how he had to deal with injuries, And of course football. I liked how he would have a story for the Superbowls and would tell the reader what happened. I could Imagine everything because I watch all the Patriots games. My favorite part was when he was talking about the huge Superbowl win against the Seahawks that was awesome. I highly reccomend this book to teenagers and older.

[Lisa Stethem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bless his heart. I think my IQ dropped 50 points. Quick fun read. Learned some stuff about Gronk but if you think intelligence is important you might wanna bypass this book. He is adorable though.

[Lindsay Rock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this because I love Gronk. I’m obsessed with the chapters that were about him growing up and his party days. There was a lot of football talk (records, plays, and wins/losses) that were kinda dry and boring.

[Scott Dieterle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick and easy read. It was interesting reading the story of what made Gronk who he is today. From childhood to last year's Super Bowl win, Gronk demonstrated a drive to be the best athlete he could be. Also along the way he worked to be the best partier he could be as well.

I loved the message and example of his drive to overcome injuries and be the best at his position. He also talks about the strength of family and making good business choices. While there are a number of admirable things about Gronk, I don't think I would recommend him as a role model to my kid when it comes to his penchant for partying. I am all about having fun, and fortunately he or his Party Rocker crew haven't got themselves seriously injured, but they have come too close for me to endorse their antics.

While did enjoy reading the book, I was glad that I borrowed it from the local library rather than actually buying it for myself.

[Matt Montaquila · Rating 5 out of 5]

I personally loved this book. It is a great story of the best tight end in NFL history and how he became to be it and have a great time too. Gronk grew up in what most would consider today as a warzone. He had 5 older brothers that were barbaric. All the boys in the family played any number of sports such as football, hockey, and wrestling. With a family of competitive boys it is not surprising that it helped Gronk become determined to be the best at his sport. He learned early that you had to work hard to get what you want. Not only is Gronk a famous football player he is a fun person with a kid like personality that loves to party. Although the book is not written the best, the story is great and it is very fast and easy to read.

[John Polymeros · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book because the topic interests me a lot. Gronk is one of my favorite nfl players and the patriots are my favorite team, it was interesting reading about his early life,college, family, partying and playing on the pats. He talked about his relationship with Tom Brady and bill Belichick and some other players on the patriots which i found very cool. He described the Super Bowl win and all his games leading up to it. It was also a very funny book talking about all his partying and fun times with his friends and family.

[Brendan Ahern]

This book is about Robert gronkowski growing and making the big leagues. It's also goes into detail about how it was growing up with three other brothers. And how his goofy antics came about. Plus how he delt with a super bowl loss and going through injuries in college and in the nfl.

I would recommend this book of you like sports and if you want a good laugh. Another reason why I would read this book is because he is the complete opposite of what you would see from a stone face patriot. This book is funny entertaining and I would love reading this book again.

[Katherine Decker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read. Good for Patriots fans and other football fans. Gronk being Gronk may be more understood in New England, but this book is more than just that- it is about how to never give up on dreams, to be positive, to have fun, that hard work can pay off. Gronk is one of my favorite football players and overall a great guy. Well worth reading this quick and enjoyable book.

[Troy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I start this review, full disclosure; I am a big Michigan fan, a huge Tom Brady fan and became a New England Patriots fan largely because of “TB12” alone. What motivated me to read this book is watching the incredible on field chemistry between Tom and his favorite TE target and the rumors about Rob Gronkowski and his off field life. I was simply looking for an inside look into a great athlete who seemed to be having way too much fun off the field to be so razor focused and have enough balance to be so effective in each world. I mean, we’ve all seen so many of these types crash and burn when off field antics get prioritized, take a toll on the business side of things and they become yesterdays news.

All that said, I REALLY enjoyed “It’s Good to be Gronk”. From the time he was a young boy, battling along with his big brothers in a total sports family, his competitiveness was instilled and in attempting to avoid spoilers, he’s dealt with the challenges and pressures of outside expectations as well as his own. Challenges such as coming back from career threatening injuries and keeping his athletic and personal activities in balance were also part of the equation and through all of them, Gronk has remained a top level athlete who is driven for individual and team goals and remains incredibly humble. I am definitely a bigger fan of Gronk than I was before I read his book!

This book was published in 2015, and since then, Rob Gronkowski has won another ring with New England, retired, unretired and come back as top level player with Tampa Bay catching 2 TDs in the Super Bowl from his old friend, Tom Brady. Excited to see if they can both add to their storybook careers!

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is only my second year following the Patriots (and football in general). I became a fan the opening game of last year, my friend insisted I had to come watch the season opener and that I would be fan of the New England Patriots by the end of the game. I will admit, it was a tough sale at first, I've never really been a sports person, but by halftime I was having a great time. At the end of the evening, the bar we were watching the game at had a giveaway for a Gronkowski jersey and by some crazy turn of events I won it. That was it, I was hooked, not only had I enjoyed the game but I had my very own jersey and I made it my goal to watch as many games as possible and seek out Gronk on the field. I found this book just before the Super Bowl and even though we lost I couldn't wait to read it and I finally got time to sit and really enjoy reading it. It was inspring reading about all the obstacles that Gronkowski had to overcome to get to where he is today was inspiring. I couldn't help but smile at the little anecdotes that he shared about his party days and his childhood. It's a very honest and fun history of Gronk and his life so far.

[Greg Kopstein · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I could give this a higher rating...

What started with Duckworth’s landmark book on grit transformed into a path through coaching and sports. I followed Grit with Pete Carroll’s book Win Forever, a testament of his years of coaching, particularly at USC and in Seattle (Seahawks). So next came this book, about Rob Gronkowski and his stellar football career.

It started off pretty well, discussing his childhood and training, none of which I had known. Then college and his party culture. It became rote and repetitive. I can sum it up here: Train, Play, Injury, Party, Injury, Train, Win, Party. It also walked through every game he’d played through 2015. I watched those games...I didn’t need all the stats for every game. I’m a football coach, but even the play-by-play got to be too much.

The big redeeming statement was how he didn’t waste money or do drugs. I wish he wrote more about that. It was only 1 sentence...

I love his mentality and his grit. I love his dedication and attitude. I just didn’t love this book.

[Noelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not exactly book award material but I like Gronk and decided to read it. It's pretty much what you would expect a book about Gronk to be like. He's only 23 so it's mainly about how he came to play football in college and the NFL. Parts of it were really interesting, like how he overcame his injuries with grit and determination, how we was inspired by cancer kids and I also found his story of his contract negotiating interesting. Not sorry I read it at all. Loved Gronk before and still love Gronk:)

[Jesse R Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read about one of the best tight ends to ever play football. I was laughing out loud when Gronk was describing some of his parties. What I really appreciate about Gronk is his work ethic. Also appreciate the way his folks raised him and his brothers as they are all successful. To come back from the injuries Gronk suffered is a thing a lot of people probably could not have done. Story was a good insight into the life of a pro football player at the highest level of the game and what it takes to get there. I am not a patriot fan, but am a fan of Gronk.

[Karessa A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book was pretty good. Since I'm a huge Pats fan I definitely enjoyed reading about Grink because it made me really understand the real reasons he retired. When you start reading it will seem like it has no real lesson and that its just Gronk being naturally good at football and partying but once you start getting in the last 75 pages you really start seeing a lesson. I recommend that anyone that loves the Patriots and really wants to learn more about the underlying reasons that Gronk retired this would be a great book to read.

[Amanda Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was supercute (you’ll understand if you read it). While it was no literary masterpiece by any means, his story was inspiring, and he really loves his family.

Gronk is a great example for young men looking to pursue the sport of football as he doesn’t do drugs, he works unbelievably hard, and he is fiscally responsible.

However, I felt like I was reading a high school term paper, which is why I just couldn’t possibly give this five stars. There is a difference between “threw” and “through.”

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

It goes without saying that Gronk is a big doofus. I understand that he probably writes on a first grade level, if that. But the point of getting a ghost writer (which he did, for this book) is that you tell your story through someone who is capable of good writing. The ghost writer brought it up to MAYBE a fourth grade reading level.


I skimmed, because it was so, so bad.

I love Gronk though. I don't need him to be a good writer. I need him to make amazing catches. Go Pats!

[Colby Gillis · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book show how and what "Gronk" AKA Rob Gronkowski had to go threw to a successful NFL football player. But more importantly it shows that he was a regular kid that just worked hard to get better at football and he didn't do it all own he had his family's and his brothers help to his road to success. I did like this book because I am a fan of the pats and I have always been more interested in sports book so that is why i pick this book and that is why i liked it.

[Aaron L · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a fan of football or if you like being entertained, this is the perfect book for you. I’ve always known of and been a fan of Gronk, and after reading his book, I have a whole different perspective on him. The way he learns his partying ways through his dad and brothers and overcomes adversity through his injuries and life choices gives me new respect for him too. After his injury, he could’ve easily given up on his dream of playing in the NFL. But he made a choice, and he battled back and that changed his life forever. I loved how he included his party life with friends and family along with his journey to the NFL. I also enjoyed reading about all of his awesome experiences in college. If your looking for an excellent, well written book to enjoy this is not for you. He isn’t the best writer in the world, but I don’t regret reading this book and i’m glad I had the opportunity to learn a lot about my favorite athlete.

[Alyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book for my 12 year old son who’s a huge Gronk & Brady fan. I knew I’d need to read it first to make sure it would be okay for him and not inappropriate. Thankfully the book is as good as Gronk is as a person - yes, there’s of course talk of their partying, but his good heart outweighs that. Since my son is also an aspiring tight end, I hope this is more reassurance that great things can come if you set goals and put in the hard work.

[Kay Norm]

Having met Gronk a few times when he was a Patriot, I knew what I was getting myself into. This was written when he was only 23 years old when he was still 100% the “Yo soy fiesta” persona. That’s not to say that much has changed in the near decade that has passed since this was written, but you definitely need to go into this book knowing that Gronk will forever be a SUPERMASSIVE, lovable oaf who just wants to party rock.

[Tyler Sellentin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was a great book because it balanced his football career with his personal life very well. It talked about how he caught passes in the Super Bowl and how he would party with his brothers from time to time. It also mentioned how he fought with his brothers a lot when he was younger and that made him the tough man he is today. I would like to read more books like this in the future.

[Liam Coyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a Patriots Fan I wanted to know more about Rob Gronkowski since he's one of my favorite players from the team and this great book answered lots of questions. Throughout the book I learned Gronk was always a hard worker and was always determined to accomplish his goals and I'm glad we had him on our team

[Shirley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun to read. He definitely has a 2 track mind, being the best tight end in history, and partying. He is a straight talker and gives credit where credit is due. Speaking louder than words he never once mentions Aaron Hernandez.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I used to like Gronk...... Until I read this book. Then I lost all respect for him. He's like a man-child who won't grow up. He brags about not doing drugs, then he's bragging about partying "Gronk-Style". Blech. Give me a break.

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, I am not a fan of his. The beginning is funny. There are sweet moments when he talks about his mom. He is hilarious to watch on TV when football season is over.