Rob Gronkowski suffered three documented concussions during his college and NFL career. Key word there being “documented.”
The retired New England Patriots tight end revealed that he’s suffered a staggering number of concussions with some causing him to “blackout.” He discussed his concussion history when asked if he’ would let his children play football.
“I will let my son play football, but first, I will educate him on the game, educate him on what I went through,” Gronk said during a recent sit-down interview with CBSN. “I truly believe that anything, any injury that you receive is fixable, though. I went through my career and probably had like 20 concussions in my life. No lie. I remember like five blackout ones.”
Sadly, Gronkowski’s injury and operating-room history was as prolific as his on-field production. The former Arizona and Patriots tight end said he’s undergone nine surgeries to deal with knee, forearm and back issues.
He recently said he’s pain-free for the first time in recent memory in a promotional effort for a CBD company. During that event, he also admitted to needing one liter of fluid drained from his leg over three procedures after taking a vicious tackle in Super Bowl LIII. The hit inhibited his ability to walk and sleep for weeks.
Gronk’s injury history has long been public knowledge, but his concussion history, apparently, has not been. Considering the apparent link between repeated head trauma and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), Gronk’s reveal is a terrifying reality not just for himself but for the NFL. It shows just how easy it is for players to conceal concussions, even with the NFL’s increased measures to prevent players from doing so.
