Monster Energy Cares: Rob Gronkowski on Life After Football and Gronk Nation Youth Foundation - Seite 2

Tell me a bit about your charity. There are obviously lots of great charitable causes out there, including children, which your fantastic organization focuses on. Why is that so close to your heart?

The Gronk Nation Youth Foundation, started it a couple of years ago, my family and I. I was doing so many charities at the beginning of my career, and it was becoming a lot, so I just was like: ‘Why don't I just start my own?' People are asking me ‘Hey Rob, where can we donate, can we donate to your favorite charity?' So I started my own, and instead of telling people where to donate, I can have it come to my charity.

So I started the Gronk Nation Youth Foundation, because I feel like my childhood was special. You know, I had four brothers growing up, I had all their friends on the street to play with… I had opportunity to grow throughout my childhood. I had people to play with, I had equipment, I had parks to go to, I had organizations to play in. I want every kid to have that opportunity. Obviously, I'm not going to be able to touch every life, but I wanted to help out as many kids as I possibly could, and give them opportunities to have equipment, to have a park, so that they can go play - and stay away from the bad things that are going on - and learn about the good things, like how to work together as a team.

Have you and Camille ever talked about having any of your own?

Kids? Oh yes. We definitely both love kids, and she would be a great mother. My brother had four kids, my other brother has four kids… we love to be the great aunt and uncle! And then we walk away, and we're both ‘I don't know if we're ready for that… we're not ready!'

We do have a dog [the adorable Ralphie, who is at that very moment barking at a giant stuffed polar bear in the Monster Studio] and he's a great child to have. He's a great boy to bring around, that's kinda like having a child right now. So that's our first step!

Do you miss football? Do you still watch it?

I'll watch football for sure. I mean, I don't watch it 24/7, but I definitely keep up with it. I don't watch every single game, but I keep up with what's going on. I miss it, a little bit. What I miss most about it is being with the guys in the locker room. You really can't get that camaraderie anywhere else. You have 52 guys who are going to battle with you every single week… just the friendships and the relationships you build throughout the years, that's what I definitely miss. I definitely call some of my teammates every once in a while… we get on Facetime and just banter back and forth and rip on each other. That's what it's all about in the locker room.