The Method Behind the Gronkowski Madness

When you really break it down, the Gronkowski family is like most families. There are parents who just want the best for their children.  Parents who are willing to do whatever they can, to ensure their children achieve a better future than they had.

What makes the Gronkowski family unique though, is their success rate.  The odds that a given child will become a professional athlete are just about comparable to winning the lottery — maybe even less. Even if the child is able to make it to the collegiate level, the odds of that child turning pro are still below 1 percent. To win the lottery once is a statistical anomaly. The odds of winning the lottery twice are so small that it is fair to consider it a mathematical impossibility. What if I were to tell you that the Gronkowski family has won the lottery four times?  While they did not win the actual lottery, the Gronkowski’s did something even more statistically impressive.

Gordie and Diane Gronkowski have raised four professional athletes (with a possible fifth on the way). They are the parents of NFL superstar Rob Gronkowski, but as if that weren’t enough, they are also the proud parents of Chris Gronkowski, fullback for the San Diego Chargers, and Dan Gronkowski, a tight end for the Cleveland Browns. In addition to their success raising NFL players, son Gordon Gronkowski Jr. played professional baseball in the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim organization. Gordon Jr. excelled on the Angels rookie ball club and even reached as high as single-A Cedar Rapids before playing in the independent leagues.  A feat not easily accomplished, even for the most talented of the baseball crop.

Perhaps the most impressive part of the story is that the Gronkowski’s aren’t finished yet. Youngest son Glenn Gronkowski is currently playing NCAA Division I football for Kansas State University, and is thought by some to have even more potential than his four siblings.

Even if Glenn is able to make it to the NFL, it will be tough to challenge the success of older brother Rob.  The second youngest of the five siblings, Rob Gronkowski is currently the highest paid tight end in the NFL. “Gronk” as he is affectionately known in New England, has already broken the NFL records for most touchdowns and most yards in a single season for a tight end (Gronkowski compiled 18 TD’s and 1,327 YDS in 2011). He is currently recovering from multiple off-season surgeries, but Gronk should have plenty of good years left to destroy more NFL records.

So how did they do it? How did Gordie and Diane Gronkowski beat the odds you may be wondering? In their new book, “Growing Up Gronk” Gordie and his boys, along with co-author Jeff Schober, describe just how the family was able to achieve their unparalleled level of athletic success. The book even gives such insights as to how Diane was able to keep all of her enormous boys fed.

Even in his early days as a father, Gordie Growkowski recognized the importance of conditioning and physical fitness, if he was going to take on the almost impossible task of raising professional athletes.  Gordie, a former collegiate football player at Syracuse, and a man of fairly well means, converted the family’s basement into a full weight room and workout center. He kept the kids on a strict schedule of physical activities that in the summer was often around-the-clock. While on the surface Gordie’s methods might seem a bit harsh, his son’s rarely protested.  The Gronkowski brothers obliged to their father’s will not out of fear of punishment, but because they were instilled with a motivation to be the very best. Gordie not only worked to improve his sons’ physique, but their attitudes as well. Each brother was and is deeply motivated to always be at the top of their game, an air of determination given to them by their father.

While dad made sure that the brothers kept active, mom was in charge of keeping their minds strong.  Each of the Gronkowski brothers was an honor student at Williamsville North High School in western New York. Diane Gronkowski worked hard to make sure her boys were prepared for life even if their dream of making it to the pros did not work out.

The book, which has thus far received great critical acclaim, gives a behind the scenes look into the interworking of the Gronkowski family.   Included in the book are several hilarious anecdotes from the brothers’ childhood, along with some extremely inspiring lessons.

With their story now told, the Gronkowski brothers have only one thing left to do.  Each will look to add to their success and continue playing, as they have earned their new reputation as one of the NFL’s favorite families.

Video courtesy of CBS News