Gronkowski dodges questions on Pats future
By Ross Gienieczko FOXBORO, MA » Rob Gronkowski stepped up to the podium this afternoon at Gillette Stadium, but he wasn’t in the mood to talk football.
Appearing in full motocross garb, Gronkowski talked about the Monster Energy AMA Supercross event at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, his childhood love of bikes and four-wheelers, and more. But the Patriots tight end avoided questions about his future with the team and whether or not he’s still contemplating retirement.
Asked about his status for the 2018 season, Gronkowski deferred in humorous fashion.
“My status is doing really great,” he said. “I’ve been riding dirtbikes. I’ve been training really hard. I can vroom vroom really good. I can ride that bike like no other.”
Gronkowski also said he would not be attending Patriots optional workouts, which started last week.
“No,” he said. “I’ve got dirt biking skills to work on.”
He dodged a question about whether he was still considering retirement, too.
“It depends how my racing skills go today,” Gronkowski said.
He gave his most revealing answer when he was asked why the supercross event was so important to him.
“I actually love supercross riding and stuff. Growing up as a kid, my dad, we used to hound him to buy us a dirt bike or a mini bike or four-wheelers. We used to make jumps in our backyard, my brothers and I. My mom would be flipping out ... but we’d be doing it because that’s what we’d do,” Gronkowski said. “We just always enjoyed riding our whole lives, especially the four-wheelers. We went to all the events around our hometown, Buffalo -- monster trucks, supercross, whatever it was.”
But Gronkowski said his riding activities have been far more limited in the offseasons during his football career.
“(I’m) not dirt biking or anything. Sometimes fourwheelers, but not all the time now,” he said. “When I was growing up it was all the time. We used to do it every day. Now, just once in awhile. Not too much. I’m not hitting the jumps.”