Gronkowski's book provides insight into rehab

Rob Gronkowski has basically become a lost guy in Patriots training camp now a days. The tight end has gone through several surgeries over the off-season, and quite frankly, there isn't much information regarding anything about the surgeries. But now, there may be. Boston.com is reporting that Rob Gronkowski's book gives a valuable insight to his rehab from surgery. They report that once Gronkowski had his first surgery in 2009, he felt like he had an anchor on his back, movement was limited and any sudden moves created a sharp pain on his spine. Gronk's new book gives an insight into his surgery back in 2009, and since it is the same surgery with the same doctor, it gives an insight into what he needs to do to come back.

When he first got out of surgery, “he felt like an anchor was strapped to his back,” Schober wrote. “Movements were limited and tentative. A sudden shift drew sharp daggers raking against his spine.”

“His body needed to remain straight and avoid sideways movements for six weeks afterward.”

“I just chilled for a month and a half, sitting on the couch,” Gronkowski said. “That’s basically all you can do.”

“Once you have back surgery, you have to lay off,” said his father, Gordy Gronkowski. “You need to stay still for three weeks. You can walk, but never bend. You can’t turn. You get out of bed a certain way.”

Even though Gronk wasn't healed enough to compete in the NFL combine, he held his own after heeling completely and working on strengthening his muscles again. His father, Gordy, is not a fan of certain strengthening coaches, as the coaches at Jacksonville University put Rob's brother back into the weight room to soon after a herniated disk.

“This idiot put him on weights right away,” said the father, Gordy. “You don’t strengthen a disk. It’s not a muscle. You got to let the damn thing heal totally and then work on core strength. Stretch the hamstrings. This guy had him doing stupid things that didn’t help.”

Gronkowski's book can be found here: Growing Up Gronk

- Joshua Powers
   @jmano33