Rob Gronkowski did a lot for New England on and off the field. While racking up 79 touchdowns and three Super Bowl wins, he also made donations of time and money to charities and hospitals in the Boston area.
But he made enemies in Buffalo. In 15 games against the Bills over his nine-year career, Gronkowski had 69 catches for 1,070 yards and 12 touchdowns, the most against any opponent. Now that he’s no longer in the business of making Bills fans miserable, he’s trying to earn back Buffalo’s love. After all, Gronk grew up nearby in Amherst, New York.
“It’s a little different now, being back now that I’m retired, Buffalo kind of accepts me a little bit more,” Gronkowski said while presenting a $50,000 donation to Oishei Children’s Hospital in Buffalo.
It was his first donation to a hospital in the Buffalo area.
“We were out Saturday night and they were out giving cheers at our charity event and everything,” Gronkowski said. “It was cool to finally be accepted once again where I grew up. So, I decided to come back and start giving back now, all right?”
Gronk announced his retirement earlier this offseason, which left a tremendous void of talent and personality on the Patriots’ roster.
