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Rob Gronkowski was one of the best tight ends in the country when he was in high school and attracted the attention of plenty of notable college programs. That includes Clemson, which hosted him for a recruiting visit where he met a girl who went out of her way to leave him a voicemail after he announced he was taking his talents to the University of Arizona.
The man known as “Gronk” was a four-star recruit who received a number of offers before committing to the Wildcats. During his senior year at Woodland Hills High School in Pittsburgh, he took official trips to Clemson, Syracuse, and Ohio State—the last of which spawned a legendary photo of the tight end at a football game after a very long night in Columbus.
When I chatted with Gronkowski earlier this year, he insisted he didn’t actually drink the night before he headed to The Horseshoe to watch the Buckeyes. However, during a recent conversation on The Ryen Russillo Podcast, he all but admitted he helped himself to more than a few adult beverages when he headed down to South Carolina for a visit arranged by the Tigers.
Gronk announced his decision to commit to Arizona around a month later, and as he recalled, that didn’t sit well with a girl he’d given his number to at Clemson who called him to let him know he’d regret the decision.
@russillopod Gronk with a legendary story about his recruiting visit to Clemson 😂 #NFL #cfb #clemson #gronk #russillopod
Here’s what he had to say:
“I get a voicemail. I must have given out my number a couple of times that night. I don’t remember. I was having too good of a time. I was drinking all the ‘water’ they have down there in Clemson…
I listen to it and it’s some girl that goes to Clemson. It’s like, ‘Hey, Rob. I saw you committed to the University of Arizona. I’m going to tell you this right now: you absolutely f***** your decision up. We were all waiting for you down here in Clemson. You have a good life. We’re going to miss you so much, but let me tell you once again: you f***** up.”
It’s hard to believe Gronkowski has any regrets, as his play at Arizona led to him being selected by the Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft before going down in history as one of the most dominant TEs to ever play in the league.