Julian Edelman busts viral Rob Gronkowski party animal story - "Bullsh*t"

Rob Gronkowski is widely considered one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history, winning four Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was also the first at his position to lead the league in receiving touchdowns.

Gronkowski is also widely considered one of its most colorful players ever, most notably boasting a penchant for attending and hosting huge and loud parties. But one of his former teammates does not believe he partied that hard to the point of passing out.

Last week, former New England defensive end Jake Bequette told YouTuber Alex Stein that Gronkowski would party at the Patriots' facilities so hard he would eventually pass out and have to be administered an IV. However, Edelman, via the Twitter account of his podcast "Games with Names," claimed that the story was all a lie:

"Our Patriots inside confirms this is total bullsh*t (poop emoji)"

The Super Bowl LIII MVP even defended Gronkowski in a tweet from his personal account:

"Everyone wants to paint Gronk as a party animal. When in reality he was one of the most dedicated teammates I had."

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When Rob Gronkowski claimed partying improved his game

Even if Jake Bequette's partying stories are true, however, they ultimately did not seem to hinder Rob Gronkowski's on-field performance. In fact, the multi-time Pro Bowler says partying helped him in his career.

Speaking to Jimmy Fallon on "The Tonight Show" earlier this year, he attributed his boisterousness to his upbringing:

“I just had a good time growing up. I’m from Buffalo. The Bills Mafia, they’re tailgating. They’re jumping off RVs into tables, breaking open. That’s how I grew up.”

He then explained how the things he did during parties “translated to the football field:”

“Well, I’m carrying my friends, you know, throughout the bar. I’m holding them up! I’m lifting. I’m curling them! There on my back, I’m jumping up and down! I’m dancing the whole time. Kinda like Austin Butler. I’m gyrating!”

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What stories about Rob Gronkowski does Julian Edelman have?

Even if he disagrees with the extent of Rob Gronkowski's partying, Julian Edelman still acknowledges how popular the tight end was (and still is).

Speaking recently on the "No Chill" podcast with Gilbert Arenas and Josiah Johnson, the Super Bowl LIII MVP recalled attending a Red Sox game with Gronkowski early on in their careers. He pinpointed the exact moment when he realized his teammate would become a superstar:

"They swarmed the car and they were shaking the car for Gronk. Gronk gets out of the sunroof. Everybody's going crazy. People are throwing bras, shirts.

He summed it up by describing the tight end in two words:

"Gronk's an absolute rockstar."