“That’s the f—er you want to take in the first round?” former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick asked college scout Jon Robinson after a 12-minute interview with Rob Gronkowski. The former tight end went on to talk about “hot-tubs” for most of the interview. Belichick wanted a football-obsessed guy and wasn’t impressed at first. But when they watched the tape, the coach couldn’t ignore how explosive Gronk was on the field.

That was the exact, unfiltered energy Gronk brought straight into Foxborough. And former wide receiver Julian Edelman, who spent almost nine years with Gronk in New England, also felt the tight end’s arrival was an absolute breath of fresh air.

“You were 100% correct when you said Bill drafted a guy like you and we needed a guy like you. To soften up the high-stress environment that we had, cuz I mean, I was in that transition period before you, and it was a little dark in there. It was getting stale. And then we bring in this guy, Gronk, and he’s the most lovey-joyey guy. And we all were like, ‘How are we going to react to Bill? How this guy acts?’ And he couldn’t say anything because you were such a dominant football player. And how you treated all your teammates, being the superstar, you were.

“You never knew Gronk was a superstar. You always included everyone. You were the best teammate. The joy that you had was great for a guy like me,” Edelman recalled on The Gronk & Jules Show on Monday.

Gronkowski arrived as a second-round pick with a reputation for being easygoing and a little goofy. Edelman added the coaching staff warned the room that they were going to like the new guy, and the description proved accurate almost immediately.

Edelman and Gronkowski quickly became close. They met off the field at an autograph signing early in Gronkowski’s career and ended up at a club together that same night, forming a friendship that lasted the rest of their time in New England. On the field, they complemented each other. Edelman worked the middle of the field as a reliable slot option for Tom Brady, while Gronkowski dominated as a matchup nightmare who could win in the run game and the pass game. Off the field, Gronkowski’s personality provided relief from the daily intensity.

Edelman has repeatedly pushed back against the idea that Gronkowski was simply a party guy who showed up and performed. When former teammate Jake Bequette once claimed Gronkowski would arrive at the facility still recovering from nights out, Edelman publicly called the story “BS” and described Gronkowski as one of the most dedicated teammates he had. The energy Gronkowski brought was real, but it coexisted with the preparation Belichick demanded.

That combination helped define the Patriots’ peak years. The team won three Super Bowls during the stretch when Edelman and Gronkowski were both on the roster. Gronkowski’s ability to lighten the mood showed up in smaller moments as well, including the time he tried to break tension after a loss in Green Bay by walking out with a taped-on number that Belichick immediately shut down. The group still found a way to win the Super Bowl that season.

Years later, the bond remains. Edelman sent a video message for Gronkowski’s Patriots Hall of Fame induction on November 7, calling him “the most dominant player I ever played with” and “a joy to be around.” The two now work together as analysts and podcast hosts, still telling stories from those years in Foxborough. The locker room they left behind was built on standards and preparation.