Dec. 21, 2008
This is the fourth in a six-part series celebrating Maryland football seniors. This segment features tight end Dan Gronkowski.
By Joey Flyntz, Athletics Media Relations Staff
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Dan Gronkowski is not your average University of Maryland MBA student. When he is not learning the ins and outs of commerce at one of the top business schools in the country, Gronkowski somehow finds time to moonlight as the Terrapins' starting tight end as the team prepares for the Roady's Humanitarian Bowl.
That dedication not only makes him an exceptional football player, but sets him apart from the rest of the university's Master of Business Administration students.
Gronkowski, a senior out of Amherst, N.Y., has enjoyed a breakthrough season. A great run blocker at 6-foot-6-inches, 255 pounds, Gronkowski has become a favorite target for quarterback Chris Turner, recording 29 catches for 287 yards and three touchdowns thus far in 2008, each of which has eclipsed his numbers from the previous three seasons combined.
"Dan's been a great target here throughout his career, but especially this season," Turner said. "He's definitely a guy you like having on your side. We know we can always count on him to come through for us, whether with blocking or coming up with a big catch."
Gronkowski's road to his current role on the football team has been a long one. A high school quarterback at Williamsville North, Gronkowski was a late addition to Maryland's 2003 recruiting class. Gronkowski was looking to go out of state to play his college ball and once head coach Ralph Friedgen guaranteed him an opportunity to play quarterback for the Terps, Gronkowski committed a few weeks shy of National Signing Day.
The recruiting process did not end there, though. Friedgen had a proposition for Gronkowski and approached him about an idea he referred to as a "grayshirt."
Instead of enrolling at Maryland the ensuing fall and taking a redshirt season, the concept of grayshirting entailed Gronkowski deferring his enrollment until the spring semester, then redshirting the following season to give him an extra spring and summer with the team.
Gronkowski agreed. While the rest of the recruiting class matriculated to College Park in the summer, Gronkowski waited, first joining his teammates in Jacksonville, Fla., for the 2004 Gator Bowl, a 41-7 blowout of the rival West Virginia Mountaineers.
Once on campus, Gronkowski and the coaching staff realized his future with the team was at tight end, and the redshirt year was spent getting him acclimated to the new position.
Despite possessing the size, strength and hands necessary to excel at the tight end position, getting on the field in the coming years was no easy task.
The Terrapins have enjoyed a strong line of tight ends in recent years, not the least of which being current San Francisco 49er Vernon Davis, the sixth overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft. The last two years, the Terps had pro prospects Joey Haynos and Jason Goode at tight end, in addition to Gronkowski.
Some college athletes may have been frustrated sharing time with other standouts at their position, but Gronkowski insists he would not be having the season he is right now without the knowledge gained from playing with the aforementioned group.
"Those guys helped me out a lot, without question," Gronkowski said. "Vernon was unbelievable and Joey, Jason and I were always in competition with each other. Although we were good friends, we were really pushing each other. If one messed up, we knew the other might be starting the next day. Because of that, we were always on our toes and ready to go."
Gronkowski's lone collegiate touchdown prior to this year came on the big stage, as he hauled in a 2-yard score from Sam Hollenbach as the Terps went on to defeat Florida State on national television during the 2006 season.
The first of Gronkowski's touchdowns this season came on national television, as well, when he made an athletic catch in the back of the end zone against California in Maryland's Sept. 13th victory over the Golden Bears.
Though possibly unfair to say his academic achievements dwarf those of the athletic variety, the truth is Gronkowski's classroom work has been phenomenal. Gronkowski graduated with a marketing degree in May 2007 before gaining admittance to the Robert H. Smith School of Business.
Studying for an MBA is a difficult enough task for a full-time student, much less one playing major college football at the same time. And, yet, Gronkowski makes it work.
"It's pretty tough sometimes, but you just have to stick to a schedule and know what you need to get done," Gronkowski said. "It's all time-management. Sunday is our off day for football, so that's usually my day to completely catch up on my schoolwork. So, there's really no day off for me. The Academic Support group on campus is really good at helping the student-athletes here and, so far, everything has worked out."
When looking at his family background, Gronkowski's successes on and off the field become more clear.
Gronkowski's father, Gordon, played football at Syracuse. His brother, Chris, played fullback alongside Dan at Maryland before transferring to Arizona, and another brother, Rob, is a tight end at Arizona and was a freshman All-American last season. Additionally, their older brother, Gordie Jr., played college baseball at Jacksonville University and spent two years as a first baseman in the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim organization.
Those backyard games were surely a sight to behold, but not until everyone finished their homework.
"Not only myself, but all my brothers, as well, have great grades," Gronkowski said. "My parents really stressed that when we were younger. We had to have our homework done before we could go outside and run around. I think that definitely helped. It's something everyone in the family takes seriously."
Opposing defenses and prospective employers ought to take Gronkowski seriously, as well. Although he was the first Maryland football grayshirt, there is no gray area when it comes to Gronkowski's work ethic.
