Rob Gronkowski: ‘I haven’t spent a cent of my salary’

THERE are so many horror stories about pro athletes blowing millions of dollars. But this party boy has turned into an unlikely role model.

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FOR all the horror stories of professional athletes going broke, one young NFL star is proving the worth of being careful with his money.

Rob Gronkowski, a Super Bowl-winning tight end with the New England Patriots, has penned a memoir that — apart from painting himself as a complete hero in all walks of life — details his wise spending habits as a 26-year-old superstar athlete.

To date, “Gronk” has earned $16.3 million in five seasons with the Patriots in the NFL.

He didn’t pull in big money in his first two seasons by NFL standards, earning $320,000 and $450,000. But in 2012, “Gronk” signed a record $54 million six-year extension.

Still, he says, he’s never spent a cent of it.

“To this day, I still haven’t touched one dime of my signing bonus or NFL contract money,” he writes in the autobiography It’s good to be Gronk.

“I live off my marketing money and haven’t blown it on any big-money expensive cars, expensive jewellery or tattoos and still wear my favourite pair of jeans from high school.

“I don’t hurt anyone ... I don’t do drugs, I don’t drive drunk, I don’t break the law.”

Writing for Forbes, Blake Oestricher said Gronkowski’s money discipline should be a lesson to all pro-athletes.

“Throughout much of his career, Gronkowski’s wild celebrations, beer-guzzling ways and the overall social buzz surrounding his off-the-field life have earned him a reputation as just another major NFL star who prioritises having fun over making an impact on the gridiron,” Oestricher wrote.

“But beyond Gronkowski’s jawdropping numbers proving those doubters wrong about his focus on football, his frugal spending habits show that he’s more than simply a great football player who likes to party.

“He’s a great money manager, too, and his philosophy of ‘big pockets and short fingers’ should serve as a lesson for the countless NFL stars who believe that ‘spend now and worry about it later’ is the right way to live.”

According to ESPN’s Darren Rovell, Gronkowski’s career endorsements to date are estimated at $3.5 million.

Rob Gronkowski says he hasn't spent any of his $16.3 million NFL contract $. Estimate his career endorsement income at around $3.5M so far.

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) June 23, 2015

Gronk likes to paaaartaay.

Gronkowski’s bulging bank account is no match for his ego, though, as the following anecdotes will attest.

FRAT PARTY ESCAPE

“Guys were coming at me from behind and from all angles,” Gronkowski wrote.

“Eventually eight of them got me to the ground, and I was taking kicks everywhere, but our quarterback, Willie Tuitama, ran in and helped get me out of there.

“The girl I had been friendly with told me that I looked like the Hulk throwing four dudes off me.

“She loved it and definitely made it up to me later.”

Thanks for sharing, Gronk.

THE COLLAPSIBLE CHAIR

“There were a lot of hot, sexy Mexican ladies there, but I picked out the largest, healthiest looking one, who had to be 260 pounds, like I was. After 10 seconds of me dancing on top of her in the chair, the collective 520 pounds of the two of us collapsed the fold-up chair. The crowd exploded with laughter. I got up and continued dancing (or twerking) to that Mariachi music. That was the best $30 I ever made!”

COACH PEP TALK

“While I was watching a training camp practice in between my own exercises, Coach Belichick was standing right next to me and said, ‘Rob, you are one of the hardest workers I’ve seen, and you’re always working hard when you’re here, but when you’re not here. ... I don’t know about your craziness off the field, the messing.’ I started laughing and told him, ‘The fun stuff makes me grind harder, coach.’ He shook his head as he walked off and said, ‘Whatever works for you.’”

On the job with the New England Patriots.

HORROR STORIES

Earlier this month, former NBA player Adonal Foyle released a new book, Winning the Money Game: Lessons Learned From the Financial Fouls of Pro Athletes, which details stories of pro athletes winding up broke and/or homeless by the age of 40.

“Lots of players are having ­financial trouble, but they won’t talk about it,” Foyle wrote.

The litany of superstars who’ve taken themselves down is endless.

Mike Tyson tore through $300 million on multiple homes, cars, jewels and pet tigers. In 2003, he filed for bankruptcy.

Baseball great Curt Schilling made $112 million over 20 years, but went so broke that in 2013 he begged the Baseball Hall of Fame to return his bloody sock from a famous pitching performance against the Yankees so that he could auction it off. (It brought in more than $92,000).

Later that year, Schilling held an estate sale, hawking everything from a Hummer golf cart and a baby grand piano to old power chargers, used crutches and unopened DVDs.

“I sold all that stuff to pay the banks back,” he told the Boston Globe. “Instead of filing for bankruptcy and keeping it all, I sold it all. It sucks.”

The house went, too, listed for $3 million. It sold for $2.5 million — half of what Schilling paid for it in 2004.