Rob Gronkowski: “The Arm’s Doing All Right”
The New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski made this first public appearance since re-injuring his forearm in an interview on WEEI’s Mut & Merloni show and gave us an update on his surgically repaired forearm.
Jan 13, 2013; Foxboro, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) catches a pass out of bounds while defended by Houston Texans inside linebacker Barrett Ruud (54) during the first half of the AFC divisional round playoff game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
“The arm’s doing all right; just casted it up,” he said. “Got a lot of time to heal now. So, there’s no hurry, no rush. Just taking it week by week and day by day, and just getting it stronger every day. So, I’m improving every week. It’s the offseason now, so, no time to rush it. Get it 100-percent before camp starts.”
Gronk first injured his left forearm on November 18 playing against the Indianapolis Colts causing him to miss the next five games. His return in Week 17 to play against the Miami Dolphins, while playing a few snaps, was surprising and clearly he did not appear to be 100% throughout the game.
“I really wasn’t that confident obviously going in, because obviously I was using one hand, as you can see.” Gronk said. “I was just getting used to it and all, just getting used to the flow of the game again, it’s good to get the speed down and all that, and just getting me prepared going into the playoffs, playing in that Miami game.”
“If the doctors didn’t clear me and they said it wasn’t smart to play in the Miami game, then I wouldn’t have. But the doctors cleared me and they said I was good to go. Obviously I want to be out there whenever I can get out there. So, right when they said I was cleared, I was definitely ready to go.”
Although it was exciting to see Gronk’s come back, it did not last long as he re-fractured his left arm in the Patriots 41-28 Divisional Playoff win against Texans.
“Right when I landed obviously I was in huge pain,” he recalled. “I knew there was something wrong right when I hit. I just wasn’t sure what it was because sometimes you get a stinger, sometimes you get a charley horse and they go away after two minutes — they just hurt real bad, real quick for like two minutes. So, I was just hoping it was that, like a quick stinger, hitting your joint in your elbow or something where it just numbs your arm real quick. I was just hoping it was one of those. But the pain wasn’t going away, obviously, and obviously it broke.
Gronk’s absence in the playoffs was truly heart-breaking as it was proven to be a huge hurdle on the way of the road to the Super Bowl. He is very optimistic for the 2013 season.
“It wasn’t the way I wanted to go out. Definitely it wasn’t. It is what it was. That’s what happened. “It’s the offseason now, so, no time to rush it. Get it 100 percent before camp starts.”
Please Gronk get healthy and stay healthy!
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