Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski has won four Super Bowls, been to five Pro Bowls and even won a WWE title. Now he has a new honor to add to his unique résumé: world-record holder.
The 10-year NFL veteran is now in the Guinness Book of World Records after successfully catching a pass dropped from a helicopter hovering 600 feet in the air, and he didn’t even need Tom Brady.
Gronkowski completed the feat at Arizona, his alma mater. He, along with former New England Patriots teammate Tedy Bruschi, was on hand to serve as an honorary coach for the Wildcats’ spring game on Saturday.
Gronkowski’s Friday appearance at the team’s practice was a surprise to the players. First-year head coach Jedd Fisch introduced Gronkowski to the team, with the veteran tight end coming out in pads and shorts wearing the same No. 48 he sported while playing for the Wildcats from 2007 to ’09.
After successfully holding on to the third attempt, and the scoreboard flashing “WORLD RECORD BROKEN!!!” Gronkowski did his signature “Gronk Spike” celebration at midfield of Arizona Stadium.
“Every time you step on the field, you’ve got to raise the bar to another level, baby,” Gronkowski told the team after making the catch. “And I just raised that bar to this level.”