Rob Gronkowski, the former New England Patriots star, recently chuckled at a joke about his ex-coach Bill Belichick’s controversial relationship with 24-year-old Jordon Hudson, which has been a hot topic among fans and commentators.
Belichick, a 73-year-old seven-time Super Bowl champion, has been in the spotlight due to his relationship with Hudson. His appointment as head coach at UNC earlier this year was seen as a significant achievement for the school, but his tenure has been marred by off-field controversies.
Hudson was noted as a “constant presence” during Belichick’s contentious interview with CBS Sports, leading UNC officials to clarify that she is not banned from the school. Among those supporting Belichick amid the ongoing controversy is his former player, Gronkowski.
Gronkowski, who played under Belichick during the Patriots’ dominant reign in the early 21st century, is well-positioned to comment on the debate surrounding the coach’s dedication to his role. However, even Gronk couldn’t avoid setting up a joke about his former coach’s relationship with Hudson.
In a viral video on YouTube’s ‘Sundae Conversation with Caleb Pressley,’ the 32-year-old host made a seemingly innocent remark: “Bill’s picked up a 24-year-old,” to which the former tight end fired back, “The Buffalo Bills?”
Pressley couldn’t help but crack a humorous jab at Belichick, quipping: “No. Have you met Coach Belichick’s girlfriend?” That got a laugh from Gronkowski, who admitted: “He got me. How did I fall for that one?”.
The retired tight end expressed his support for Belichick’s potential to revamp his reputation at UNC, remarking during the ‘YouTube Brandcast’ this month: “The 36-year-old retired fan favorite backed Belichick to turn his image around at UNC, saying on the YouTube Brandcast earlier this month: Bill has to produce. And I’m going to be tuning in, and I want to see him win some games. Because if he wins some games, he’ll shut everyone up. And that would be fun to see, man.”
Discussing how Belichick’s high-profile relationship seems at odds with his former persona, Gronk commented on 98.5 The Sports Hub: “You know, and in the back of your head … you’re just thinking to yourself, ‘When you were on the Patriots, the whole goal was to eliminate all the distractions that can possibly happen while you’re on the team’.
“And don’t bring those distractions to the team and in the locker room, and we’re just looking down at the program in North Carolina, and it feels like there are just distractions 24/7 down there. There’s no football talk as well.”
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Belichick himself refuted claims that Hudson is a distraction, asserting to SportsCenter: “Really off to the side. It’s a personal relationship, and she doesn’t have anything to do with football.”
UNC’s Bubba Cunningham also expressed his admiration for the coach, telling ESPN: “Bill’s been great to work with.”
“He talked about practicing like a pro and he runs a professional organization that is teaching students how to be professional in all aspects of their life. He is a very determined, professional individual, and that’s the way he carries himself and the way he conducts the program.”
In a statement, UNC confirmed: “While Jordon Hudson is not an employee at the University or Carolina Athletics, she is welcome to the Carolina Football facilities. Jordon will continue to manage all activities related to Coach Belichick’s personal brand outside of his responsibilities for Carolina Football and the University.”
