Patriots' Rob Gronkowski's business advice to younger athletes
As New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is set to play in his second straight Super Bowl ---his fourth overall—against the Los Angeles Rams, the injury-prone football star does have some key advice for younger athletes.
In an interview with FOX Business in 2017, the already two-time Super Bowl champ said his biggest business tip is to always have a backup plan.
“Sometimes, I see players come in and they’re all about football and only football and then boom!” Gronkowski said.
The 29-year-old added that it’s important to note that the average NFL career is only about three and a half years, which is something he watched his brothers, Dan and Chris, both go through, after their five and four seasons were up.
“It’s always good to go in with another plan [and] to have something behind you that's not just football, no matter what level you are,” he said.
That is one of the reasons the Patriots phenom, affectionately known as ‘Gronk’, got his feet wet in the startup world more than two years ago, by partnering with serial entrepreneur Jeremy Greene in a new tech hologram app called Mojiit.
“The chemistry that we have is like the chemistry Tom Brady and I have on the field,” Gronkowski added when referring to his relationship with Greene.
In addition to becoming an entrepreneur, Gronk also has a slew of sponsorship deals with major brands including Tide and Cheerios.
He is also a savvy saver. In his 2015 book, “It’s Good to Be Gronk,” he told readers that he has yet to spend any of the money associated with his NFL contract and only spends money from his endorsement deals.
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According to Spotrac, last year, Gronk earned a base salary of $8 million, a roster bonus of $609.375 and a workout a bonus of $250,000.