Subscribe
Follow Us
Former four-time first-team All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski has a reputation for having fun. Whether he’s appearing in a parody of “Good Will Hunting” with ex-teammate Julian Edelman or trying his hand at wrestling in WWE, Gronk tends to be the life of the party. Which made a Fox Sports fake Cowboys tight end prank all the more enjoyable.
When the legendary tight end officially retired from the NFL following the 2021 season and joined the Fox Sports crew, his new teammates Jay Glazer, Terry Bradshaw, Michael Strahan, Howie Long and Curt Menefee decided to turn the tables and have a little fun at Gronk’s expense when discussing the Dallas Cowboys in a fake segment. On Sunday, the Fox crew unveiled a video of the prank they pulled on Gronkowski during his first season as an on-air football analyst.
The prank begins with Glazer setting things up. “We decided to play a little joke on our buddy Gronk. He thought we were going live with an extra segment. Everybody at Fox knows this is not real, except for Gronk. The premise was, I was going to ‘break news’ that the Cowboys were activating this great Pro Bowl tight end who doesn’t exist and Gronk has to go on what he thinks is live TV to talk about this tight end,” he explained via Ari Meirov on X.
When the segment “went live” host Curt Menefee tossed to Glazer for the latest news. The NFL insider tells the group, “You guys know how big a weapon Rich Russo is for [the Cowboys]” as Gronkowski looks understandably confused. The group continues talking about the fictional Cowboys tight end – with Howie Long even comparing him to Gronkowski himself – until Gronk is asked for his opinion.
In Rob Gronkowski's first season on FOX, the crew tricked him into believing there was a #Cowboys TE named Rich Russo, who had two fingers missing.
Then they had to talk about it and Gronk just made up some stuff.
This prank is awesome 😂😂pic.twitter.com/5NbJxJEQOR
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 29, 2024
Rob Gronkowski offered insight into fictional Cowboys tight end in epic prank
Rather than admit he’s never heard of the Cowboys' Rich Russo, Gronk just goes with it. “Uh, he’s been out for a little bit so he might be a little rusty coming back, but I think they’re going to give him the opportunities, that’s for sure, but also they got [Jake] Ferguson as well, so they’re going to be a 1-2 combo,” Gronkowski offered. Ferguson, of course, is the Cowboys’ actual starting tight end.
Rather than let the joke die there, Terry Bradshaw chimed in, saying, “He’s the only guy in the league that has two fingers missing on his right hand, that’s why he’s been out, and he’s back now.”
Gronk earnestly asked the group, “So, is that going to affect him when he’s catching a pass?” When his co-hosts responded by saying, “You tell us,” Gronkowski delivered a classic line, saying, “I don’t know, I still have all five of my fingers!”
At that point, the Fox Sports crew erupted in laughter, reminding Gronk that he has 10 fingers and letting him in on the prank, explaining that the Cowboys don’t have a tight end named Rich Russo. And in fact, Russo is completely made up.
After showing the clip, the broadcast cut back to the live studio and Gronkowski admitted that the prank “Had his head spinning.” At least Gronk can take a joke as well as he can dish them out.
