Rob Gronkowski Says His NFL Career Prepared Him For WWE

In an interview with Newshub, Rob Gronkowski spoke about hosting Wrestlemania and how his career in the NFL prepared him for the WWE. Here are highlights:

On doing something he’s been a fan of: “I have been a fan and watching since I was in second grade. My dad brought me to the matches when they came to Buffalo, and I was a huge fan of ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, D-Generation X and Val Venis. To be part of an atmosphere that I grew up watching is an honor. On top of that, to get the chance to work with my good friend Mojo Rawley is a dream come true.”

On how NFL prepared him for the WWE: “Playing football in the NFL and being around the best of the best has definitely prepared me for WrestleMania. You can’t just walk out on the field and expect to be ready to compete – you have to practice, work out and know your plays. It’s the same thing for WrestleMania. I can’t expect to go out there, and jump off the top rope or cut a promo. Everything is about practice and that’s what I’ve taken from my time in the NFL. If you want to be great in any industry, you have to do the work and prepare. In the time I have been with WWE, I can see the superstars are the same way and they want it just as bad.”

Comparing the Super Bowl to Wrestlemania: “The Super Bowl is the biggest stage in sports and WrestleMania is the biggest stage in sports entertainment. One of the main similarities is they are both a team game. In order to win the Super Bowl, you have to be a team. In order to have a successful WrestleMania, everyone has to work like a team from the beginning to the end.”