Football, in its NFL concept, has been around for over a century. But ever since the league shifted to a knockout-style Super Bowl format, one franchise has towered over the others as the ultimate standard bearer.
In the 21st century, it is hard to find a team even remotely comparable to the success of the New England Patriots. As a result, after a record-tying six Super Bowl victories later, they’ve earned the moniker of the “Patriot Way”. However, according to a franchise icon, Rob Gronkowski, the label isn’t all that special.
Rob Gronkowski Breaks Down the “Patriot Way”
One of the greatest tight ends of all-time, Gronkowski was a second-round steal for the Patriots in 2010. His arrival heralded the second coming of the dynasty, after they’d gone five years without winning a ring.
Immediately, he turned them back into a contender, making it to the Super Bowl in his second season, as he set the all-time single-season record for touchdowns by a tight end. From there, he became a cornerstone of the organization.
Helping them win three more Super Bowls, he earned five Pro Bowl and four All-Pro selections in his tenure as well. As a result, he would be the ultimate litmus test for the lauded “Patriot Way.”
But during an appearance on the “4th and South” podcast, he revealed the true nature of that system. “It’s kind of like a myth, but it’s not a myth. It’s true, but it’s not truly true. There was never like, ‘All right, this is the Patriot Way.’ It was never explained like that.”
Bringing it back to the legendary Bill Belichick, who was the head coach of New England throughout their run of dominance, he added, “Belichick was never like, ‘Patriot Way, this is how you do it.’ We never said the Patriot Way, ever, in the locker room. That became a thing with the media and outside people looking in.”
Instead, he revealed the essence of the style, and how the entire locker room embraced it wholeheartedly. “But there was a standard. That’s more like it.”
“There’s a standard to be held accountable every single day at a high level – show up and put in the best work you could possibly put in, and gain the trust of your teammates on a daily basis. And it made you a better player and a better person. I was blessed when I went to New England because I kind of needed that in my life. I was a freelancer out there. So having that structure was phenomenal for me.”
While it might not have had the official name, there was a certain way that the Patriots had to carry themselves and incorporate that mindset into their everyday lives. The results were clear to see, with the franchise winning six Super Bowls and cementing the greatest dynasty of all-time.
Even now, just a few years removed from the end of Belichick’s tenure as the team’s head coach, they’ve made another trip to the Super Bowl, this time with Drake Maye as the quarterback and Mike Vrabel as the head coach.
