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Popular pitchman Gronkowski eager to show Patriots he can still catch

- BY DAN GELSTON

Gronk can even suit up in pigtails.

Rob Gronkowski ditched Brady for braids in his latest commercial. The Patriots’ tight end starred in a variety of spots for Tide Sport

PODS, including one where he emulated an amateur girl athlete’s sport smell after a day of competitio­n. He shows off his lighter side again when he shares social media gossip with a teen girl in another commercial.

“They know the feeling that I bring with my personalit­y so I feel like they know how to work around it,” Gronkowski said of the detergent maker. Gronkowski opens his eighth season with New England hoping for a return to form in the wake of back surgery that shortened his season and cost him his shot at playing in the Super Bowl. The 28-year-old Gronkowski hasn’t played a full season since 2011 and a lifestyle change was in order. The popular pitchman and party boy adopted parts of teammate Tom Brady’s workout and diet plan in an attempt to lengthen his career. Gronkowski now uses Brady’s trainer, Alex Guerrero, and has shifted his diet toward Brady’s nutrient-based plan.

“Some of the stuff is pretty good,” Gronkowski said. “I’m not fully on the diet. I do the dinners. The dinners taste super good. I enjoy the dinners. But it’s super tough to be 100 per cent strict at all times. Obviously, on your off days, you’ve got to have some cheat meals at least once or twice a week.” His go-to dinner? “Enchiladas,” he said. Gronkowski (405 career receptions, 6,095 yards, 68 touchdowns) said he tried to keep a low profile this off-season and stick to rehabilita­tion and football workouts.

“It was more low key,” he said. “I just focused more on football this year. Just dialed it in and tried to do my rehab process. I wanted my body to feel good. I was just making sure I got all my football stuff in, all my rehab so I can be ready for the season.”

Hey, it’s Gronk, so his offseason wasn’t totally serious. He partied in victory lane with Monster Energy in the Daytona 500.

He bolted from his ringside seat at Wrestle-Mania to become a de facto tag team partner and help real life friend Mojo Rawley win the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Gronk partied with models and smothered his chest in sushi in a music video for 3LAU (featuring Yeah Boy).

Wise about keeping his sponsors happy, Gronkowski joked he his washed his shorts from the video with Tide. Gronkowski said he still planned to tape episodes early next year of the Nickelodeo­n series “Crashletes.” Gronkowski hosts the show that features highlights from fails in sports. Tony Hawk, Von Miller, Andre Drummond and Nick Young have all taped guest spots with Gronk on “Crashletes.”

 ?? AP PHOTO ?? New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski warms up during an NFL football practice Tuesday in Foxborough, Mass.
AP PHOTO New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski warms up during an NFL football practice Tuesday in Foxborough, Mass.
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