Watch: Matt Patricia Shares Great Story From His Patriots Coaching Days About Retired Gronkowski

Coaches are sometimes hit with huge challenge, especially if it comes in the shape of Rob Gronkowski. Matt Patricia knows it best.

The former Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia shared an anecdote during a media availability on Tuesday at the league’s annual meetings. When asked for  “a good practice story,” Patricia decided to share the one about Gronk.

“I mean I probably have a couple of them,” Patricia responded, but decided to focus on one in particular.

“So we do a goal line seven-on-seven period everyday at Friday practice,” Patricia began. “I would usually stand over the cans – we put the trash cans out there as the O-line. And they’d be running crossing routes. A lot of times when you’re doing seven-on-seven passing plays, the advantage goes to the offense. So being a defensive coach, I was trying to make it as difficult as possible.”

Rob is running a crossing route behind me, and I knew he was. So I took the garbage can and I just slung it backwards, and I caught him right in between the legs. He goes down hard. He’s laying on the ground, he’s not getting up.”

Patricia stressed about a potential injury. He was stressing about an important player on the roster.

“This is Friday before a game,” he recalled. “I’m like, ‘This is it, I’m done. Gronk’s not getting up, this is about it.’”

Gronkowski was fine at the end, but Patricia still laughs at how he yelled at the tight end, asking him to get back on his feet before he was yelled at for almost losing an important part of the Patriots offense.

“But I was like, ‘Get up, right now, before I get fired,’” Patricia said.

Patricia coaches the Lions now. He almost agreed to a trade deal for Gronk in the 2018 NFL offseason. The deal was on the table, but Gronk said no.

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