Rob Gronkowski: Joe Judge ‘Made for the Game of Football’

Add former New England Patriots tight end to the long list of people who believes that New York Giants head coach Joe Judge is something special.

“He’s out of control in all ways,” Gronkowski said Tuesday during an “NFL on Fox” Super Bowl media panel. “He’s fun to be around, he has a lot of great jokes and they’re funny. He had me laughing many times in meetings.”

“He’s out of control and I love it,” continued Gronk. “He’s a great coach for the Giants’ organization. He has so much passion for the game, and that’s what you need if you want to be a coach. You have to love the game of football to the max and that’s what he does. He knows the game of football inside and out.”

Gronkowski was already a first-team All-Pro when Judge joined the Patriots staff in 2012 as an assistant special team coach, but there was no mistaking that Judge was a take-charge guy that knew his stuff. The two spent the next seven seasons under the same roof, winning three Super Bowls together.

“Yeah, he was the special teams coach but let me tell you: He knew the special teams inside and out. He knew where every single player needed to be on every single play. It was unbelievable. And he knew it like that [snaps fingers]. He knew it in a split second, so it wasn’t like he had to think of where this player needed to be. You just knew he’s made for the game of football.”

That is right in line with what many others have been saying about Judge. He knows his stuff. He commands respect and he is a player’s coach. That is the triple crown of coaching and the Giants are getting a winner in Judge.

Gronkowski, if he doesn’t make an ill-advised comeback in the next few seasons, will be a surefire Hall of Famer. Just another piece of validation Giant fans need when it comes to accepting Judge into the fold.