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Vintage Gronk: Rob Gronkowski says he never watches film, asks Tom Brady who will guard him

Rob Gronkowski was physically made in a lab, and his personality by Hollywood screenwriters.

Gronkowski told a story on the "ManningCast" during Monday night's Green Bay Packers-Detroit Lions game that perfectly sums up Gronk, the character.

Eli Manning asked Gronkowski, who was a special guest on ESPN's alternate broadcast, about what he's looking for when he watches film. He was expecting an answer about what coverages an opponent will present and what kind of routes Gronkowski can run to beat them.

Take it away, Gronk.

"First off, my teammate Cam Brate just asked me the other day, 'Rob, I have a serious question: Do you ever watch film?'" Gronkowski said. "And I said, 'No, I don't. I just run by guys, if I'm feeling good, I'm feeling good.' So I don't watch film. I do watch film when the team is showing it."

"Keep it simple," Eli said.

Gronkowski added that he'll watch games on TV "every once in a while."

Any football player or coach knows that's nothing like the film players watch during the week leading up to a game, when they can see the entire field and study coverages.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski, not a film watcher. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski, not a film watcher. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

If you thought Gronk was joking — it certainly was funny, and you never really know with Gronkowski — he added that he pretty much asks Tom Brady to do his homework for him before the test.

"I do go up to Tom, because I know Tom watches like I don't know, 40 hours of film a week, and go, 'Tom, who is covering me, and what type of coverages are they doing?'" Gronkowski said.

At that point Gronk's story got cut off because his dog was barking. He then brought the dog on camera to show Peyton and Eli Manning. Of course.

It's fairly mind-bending that arguably the greatest tight end ever says he never watches film (unless it's in a team meeting), asks Brady every week who will be guarding him, and still ends up acing the exam.

But that's Gronk. He's still one of a kind.