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Rob Gronkowski Talks Crashletes, Spikes, and Gronkosauruses

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is fun-going attitude off the field as he is for his skill and athelticism on the gridiron. So it makes sense that Nickelodeon would tap Gronk to be part of its newest show, Crashletes.

Premiering July 5 at 7 p.m. ET/PT, Crashletes highlights some of the funniest sports bloopers caught on video. It could be a kid trying to pull off an epic BMX trick, a youth football team being stopped by a banner that won’t tear, or a dad going up for a dunk he’ll never, ever make— if it’s a sports fail, and there’s a clip of it, chances are Gronk and his co-hosts Stevie Nelson and Brandon Broady will find it. (It’s not all good sports gone bad, though. The Crashletes team also feature great moments in animal athletics!)

SI Kids recently spoke with Gronk about Crashletes, making the show, how to execute a great spike — and who would win in a fight between a Gronkosaurus and Godzilla.

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​​How did you get involved Crashletes?

Crashletes was a show that was starting up, and they talked to my friends Henry [Penzi] and [Robert] Goon and they collaborated and brought it to me. They just brought up the points to it, when we could shoot and everything in the offseason. Just looked very interesting, about the atmosphere and the knowledge it was bringing to the kids and everything, how funny the episode was and how it goes with me. So I just laid it down on the table and checked it out and it looked good. And then it caught on and we did all the shows and it went well.

How did you prepare for the show?

You just check out the clips beforehand, the bloopers. It's really just making this sports show about bloopers: kids falling, all the wildness and blunders and accidents of people tripping, falling off bicycles and everything. So, I just prepared by watching some of the clips and then going out there and just freelancing it.

Were you involved at all in picking what clips were shown?

No, I wasn't involved at all in picking any of the clips. They got writers, they got directors, they have all those people for the show to do that all, and they did a great job. There were so many clips, it was just going non-stop.

Was there one clip in particular that was your favorite?

Yes, there definitely was. One of my favorite clips was a wrestling clip where this guy was doing, like, slow-motion wrestling and he's winning and then we imitated it on the set and everything. So, when that comes on, I feel like that one will be a big hit.

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​​When you were a kid, did you and your friends ever make videos like the ones on the show?

We never really made videos like that. My parents videoed us sometimes, playing, like, mini-sticks in the basement, and so we definitely did get some bloopers of, like, my brothers and I checking each other growing up when we were kids. I mean, we don't have too many, it's just a few, but there are definitely some big hits in those videos.

Will any of those bloopers end up in the show?

Yes, they ended up in the show. So that's what's cool about it.

Is it embarrassing to watch them now, as an adult?

No, they weren't embarrassing at all. I mean, we were kids back then and that's what the whole point of being on the show is. If you make the Crashletes show, you can be a superstar! So, superstar Crashlete.

What was the most fun part of being part of the show?

The most fun part was acting out some of the clips with my two hosts, Stevie and [Brandon]. Whenever we acted out another clip, we always had a blast doing it. It was a lot of fun.

Was there anything about the show or making the show that was more difficult than you expected?

Just going in at first, not really knowing exactly how it all went. I mean, the first hour or so just trying to catch on, see what's going on. I'd say by the first hour, I was just trying to make everything work out. But after that, everything clicked.

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In the first episode, you spike some pancakes. What's your favorite thing to spike, besides a football?

Um, my favorite thing to spike is, like, a gallon of milk, just watching it go all over the place.

Did you always do that, even as a kid? Just spiking stuff?

No, no. Just when I got to the NFL. I just always wanted to spike the football when I scored. So when I reached the NFL, I just started doing it and then it just caught on.

In the show, you give the two steps to spiking: grabbing the ball, then spiking it. But is there anything that you have to work on with your form to make sure you get a really good spike?

You just got to put some power into your back foot to push off, to make sure you get all the power so the ball goes flying.

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Did you play any sports besides football as a kid?

Yeah, basketball and baseball throughout high school.

How did those help you as a football player?

It just helps you to be an athlete, puts you in different positions, helps your hand-eye coordination, your jumping skills. So just overall, it just helps you be an athlete playing other sports.

You recently posted a photo on Facebook of a guy in a T. Rex costume doing the American Ninja Warrior obstacle course and you captioned it "Gronkosaurus." So, I was wondering, who'd win in a fight: the Gronkosaurus or Godzilla?

Oh, the Gronkosaurus! Because I'm the dinosaur and me combined.

Godzilla can spit fire — would you have any special powers?

Just running over whatever's thrown at me so the fire would just bounce off me.


Photos: Nickelodeon (show), Simon Bruty (action)