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Gronk adapting to the Buccaneer way
Kevin O'Donnell reports
TAMPA, Fla. - Rob Gronkowski always looks like he having fun on the football field, but he's still adapting to playing football in Florida.
Gronk wasn't completely ready for the Bucs' first scrimmage that opened with a 16-play drive.
"He said, 'I was only supposed to get 15 plays,'" laughed Bruce Arians. "'I got 16 in a row.' I said, 'Well, you're going to get about 10 more so suck it up.'"
"The trash-talking is always cool," said Gronkowski. "I mean, that's part of football. There's never just going to be a pat on the back every single play or every single route... No, it's football. You have to be mentally tough. You have to be mentally strong and you're going to get called out."
Being a three-time Super Bowl champ isn't affording Gronk an exemption card from Bruce Arians' tongue lashings.
"At first it's like, 'Wow, that was pretty funny,' if you're not receiving it," smiled Gronkowski. "Then when you receive it, you're like, 'Oh, shoot. It's not as funny anymore.'"
Rob Gronkowski is still adapting to paying in the Florida heat.
It motivates Gronk to get better. He knows the Bucs have two other top tight ends that can dominate and, after all, he's the new guy.
"I kinda have felt like a rookie with experience at first," said Gronkowski. "You have to gain the trust of your teammates. You have to gain the respect of your teammates. You have to go out there and learn the system."
And Gronk is enjoying getting back to his old self.
"Just being there out on the field, that's just me being me," said Gronkowski. "I've been kind of like that my whole career."