Retired tight end Rob Gronkowski will put his football cleats back on for this year’s Super Bowl, but not for the reason that some fans may think.
The four-time Super Bowl champion is teaming up with FanDuel for the company’s first Super Bowl commercial, but this one will be filmed live on Sunday, Feb. 12. In the commercial, Gronkowski will attempt a field goal at an unknown distance. If he makes it, FanDuel bettors will split a prize pool of $10 million in free bets.
“Everyone knows that I love throwing myself into fun, love trying out new ideas,” Gronkowski said, via the Associated Press. “Obviously, I can catch a football. ... Why not try to kick a field goal? And on top of it, I was punt, pass and kick champion in the western New York region when I was growing up, as well. So I love kicking field goals. I used to practice all the time.”
Gronkowski said he once made a 33-yard field goal in high school. Since that’s been quite a while for the 33-year-old, he decided to begin practicing with former Patriots and Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri, who holds NFL records with 599 field goals and 2,673 points.
“I’m not at the top of my game right now, but I actually have two training sessions coming up this week,” Gronkowski said. “I believe if you put your mind to anything, you can do anything. And I don’t want to disappoint America. ... I’m going to have to train, but I feel like I’m going to be able to pull it off. It’s like fourth-and-1, game on the line. I like that pressure. I like the ball coming to me. And this is the same situation with the field goal.”
Gronkowski played 11 years in the NFL, nine with the Patriots and two with the Buccaneers. He played with quarterback Tom Brady during all of those seasons, winning four Super Bowls with the superstar quarterback.
