Example of tight end positioning in an offensive formation.

Former Green Bay Packers' tight end Bubba Franks

The tight end (TE) is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be effective blockers. On the other hand, they are eligible receivers adept enough to warrant a defense's attention when running pass patterns.

Because of the hybrid nature of the position, the tight end's role in any given offense depends on the tactical preferences and philosophy of the head coach. In some systems, the tight end will merely act as a sixth offensive lineman rarely going out for passes. Other systems utilize the tight end primarily as a receiver, frequently taking advantage of the tight end's size to create mismatches in the defensive secondary. Many coaches will often have one tight end who specializes in blocking in running situations and while utilizing a better pass catching tight end in obvious passing situations.

Offensive formations may have between zero and three tight ends at one time. If a wide receiver is present in a formation, but outside the tight end, the wide receiver must be positioned behind the line of scrimmage (see figure to right). If two tight ends are on the same side of the line of scrimmage, the outside tight end must be behind the line of scrimmage.

History of the tight end position[link]

The advent of the tight end position is closely tied to the decline of the one-platoon system which happened in the 1940s and '50s. At one time, the game allowed limited substitutions- a rule derived from its evolution in other codes of football. Players had to be adept at playing on both sides of the ball and most offensive linemen were also defensive linemen or linebackers, while receivers tended to double as defensive backs. At that time, the receivers were known as either ends or flankers with the end lining up wide at the line of scrimmage and the flanker lining up slightly behind the line usually on the opposite side of the field. As the transition from one-platooning took place, it became possible for players who did not fit the mold of the traditional position to fill a niche. Players who were both good pass catchers and blockers, but were mediocre on defense were now seen as an asset instead of a liability; many of these players were too big to be receivers, yet too small to be offensive linemen, but there were those who saw the potential of having a larger receiver lined up inside. One of those was Paul Brown, the legendary coach of the Cleveland Browns. Among Brown's innovations were blocking techniques and passing schemes that utilized the unique attributes of the tight end position.

Greater use of the tight end as a receiver started in the '60s with the emergence of two players in particular, Mike Ditka and John Mackey. Until these two players, most teams considered the tight end position as almost a sixth offensive lineman, only rarely utilizing them as receivers. ^[1] In a 12-year career, Ditka caught 427 passes for over 5800 yards and 43 touchdowns.^[1] Mackey added an entirely new dimension to the position as he had the breakaway speed of a wide receiver. In one season, 6 of his 9 touchdown passes were over 50 yards.^[2]

The Coryell offense introduced the concept of a tight end that ran wide receiver-type routes with Kellen Winslow in 1980. Tight ends prior to Winslow were primarily blockers lined up next to an offensive lineman and ran short to medium drag routes.^[3] Winslow was put in motion so he would not be jammed at the line, or he was lined up wide or in the slot against a smaller cornerback.^[4] Former Chargers assistant coach Al Saunders said Winslow was "a wide receiver in an offensive lineman's body."^[3] Back then, defenses would cover Winslow with a strong safety or a linebacker, as zone defenses were not as popular.^[5] Strong safeties in those times were almost like another linebacker, a run defender who could not cover a tight end as fast as Winslow. Providing another defender to help the strong safety opened up other holes.^[6] Former head coach Jon Gruden called Winslow the first "joker" in the NFL. He could line up unpredictably in any formation from a three-point stance as a blocker to a two-point stance or being in motion as a receiver.^[7] Head coach Bill Belichick notes that the pass-catching tight ends that get paid the most money are "all direct descendants of Kellen Winslow" and there are fewer tight ends now that can block on the line.^[7]

In the 90's, Shannon Sharpe helped the position evolve to the point where the tight end was integral to a teams success and changed the way tight ends where utilized by teams, evidenced by him becoming the first tight end in NFL history with over 10,000 career receiving yards. Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates started a new era of tight ends with wide receiver speed and power forward basketball skills.^[8] In 2011, Rob Gronkowski set single-season tight end records with 17 touchdowns—breaking Gates' and Vernon Davis' record of 13—and 1,327 receiving yards, surpassing Winslow's record of 1,290.^[9] Jimmy Graham that season also passed Winslow with 1,310 yards.^[10] Five of the NFL's 15 players with the most receptions that year were tight ends, the most in NFL history. Previous seasons usually had at most one or two ranked in the top.^[11]

Roles[link]

Receiving[link]

Some plays are planned to take advantage of a tight end's eligibility (i.e. that they may lawfully catch a forward-passed football). At times, the tight end will not be covered by the defense, a situation that rarely occurs with the regular receivers. The tight end is therefore considered another option for the quarterback to pass to when the wide receivers are covered. The tight end is usually faster than the linebackers who cover him and often stronger than the cornerbacks and safeties who try to tackle him. However, tight ends are typically chosen for their speed and catching ability and therefore tend to have less blocking ability. Size does not affect catching ability. There could be tight ends on both sides of the line.

At the extreme end of this spectrum are 'hybrid' tight ends that are drafted primarily for their pass-catching abilities. Often, these players are talented athletes with near-receiver-like speed, coupled with the imposing physical size and strength of a traditional tight end. Offensive schemes often seek to take advantage of this type of player by placing him in space, often treating him as an extra receiver.

Blocking[link]

In the National Football League (NFL), tight ends are usually larger and slower than a wide receiver, and therefore able to block more effectively.^[12] It is the job of the tight end, along with the fullback, to open up a hole in the defense for the tailback to run through. Tight ends can also be used along with the offensive linemen to protect the quarterback during passing plays. Often, tight ends are employed in a fullback position called "H-back" in which he is still beside the tackle, however off the line of scrimmage. Tight ends may also pass block like other offensive linemen. Some teams employ tight ends solely to block, however this position is sometimes filled by an offensive lineman who has reported to the referee that his number is now an eligible receiving number; this makes him "Tackle Eligible".

Most old offenses (due to the introduction of the West Coast Offense) now use tight ends more as receivers than blockers. Traditionally tight ends were just blockers eligible to catch passes; however, now tight ends are more like bigger and slower receivers who can also block more effectively than most wide receivers. Most tight ends are generally large in size with an average height of 6'3" and a weight exceeding 240 lbs. The origin of the two tight end set is unclear. The Detroit Lions^[13] and the Washington Redskins^[14] have been credited with being the first teams to utilize two tight ends as part of their base offense.

Jersey numbers[link]

Specific skill positions typically are issued jersey numbers in a restricted range. In collegiate and high school football (in most states), tight ends, are restricted to numbers 1-49 and 80-99. In the NFL, numbering regulations state that tight ends must wear numbers 80-89, or when those are unavailable, 40-49.

References[link]

Notes

Look up tight in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• High and tight, a hairstyle typical in the U.S. military
• Tight end, a position in American football on the offensive team
• Tight your black belt hard!, a popular judo manga in Japan
• TighT, a psychedelic trance live act from KohPhangan, Thailand
• Tight playing style, in poker, a style of play which means to rarely call/play a hand

Clothing[link]

• Skin-tight garment, a garment that is held to the skin by elastic tension
• Tights, a type of leg coverings fabric extending from the waist to feet
• Tightlacing, the practice of wearing a tightly-laced corset

Mathematics[link]

• Tight, a mathematical term, as in 'tight frame'
• Tightness of measures, in mathematics, a concept in measure (and probability) theory

Science and technology[link]

• Tight gas, natural gas which is difficult to access
• Tight oil, shale oil which is difficult to access

Slang[link]

• Tight, a slang term for a miser.
• Tight (slang), a slang term for the state of being drunk
• Tight (slang), a slang term that means "cool","awesome" and "dope".
• Tight (slang), a slang term for being close, or intimate, friends
• Tight (slang), a slang term for being in a state of anger or frustration that leads to semi-violent thoughts: example" I'm gonna get Hella tight with you!" or "you're making me tight!"

Songs[link]

• Tight (album), an album by Mindless Self Indulgence
• "Tight" (INXS song), a song by INXS
• "Tight," a song by The Coup from their 2001 album Party Music

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Look up end in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

End or Ending may refer to:

• End (philosophy)
• In mathematics:
  • End (category theory)
  • End (topology)
• End (American football)
• End, a division of play in the sports of curling and target archery
• End key on a modern computer keyboard
• End Records, a record label
• "End", a song by The Cure from Wish
• "End", a Song from Silent Night Fever by Dimension Zero
• End, in weaving, a single thread of the warp

END may refer to:

• European Nuclear Disarmament
• Endoglin, a glycoprotein
• Equivalent narcotic depth, a concept used in underwater diving

Ending may refer to:

• Ending (linguistics)
• Alternate ending
• End of a part of a baseball game
• False ending
• Happy ending
• Multiple endings
• Twist ending
• Endings (film)

See also[link]

• All pages beginning with "End"
• All pages with titles containing "End"
• The End (disambiguation)
• End of the world (disambiguation)
• Front end (disambiguation)
• Boundary (disambiguation)
• Telos (philosophy), a goal or final state
• Conclude (disambiguation)
• Terminate (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Vernon Davis

Davis in February 2010
No. 85     San Francisco 49ers
Tight end
Personal information
Date of birth: (1984-01-31) January 31, 1984 (age 28)
Place of birth: Washington, D.C.
Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Weight: 250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
College: Maryland
NFL Draft: 2006 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6
Debuted in 2006 for the San Francisco 49ers
Career history
San Francisco 49ers (2006–present)
Career highlights and awards
Pro Bowl selection (2009)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 15, 2011
Receiving yards 3,631 Receiving average 12.4 Receiving TDs 35 Stats at NFL.com

Vernon Leonard Davis (born January 31, 1984) is a professional American football tight end for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the 1st round (6th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft by the 49ers. Upon entering the league, Davis signed to a 5-year, $23 million deal that made him the highest paid tight end at the time. He joined current Seattle Seahawks tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. as the fourth highest tight end ever drafted after Ron Kramer, (Green Bay, No. 4 in 1957) Mike Ditka (Chicago, No. 5 in 1961) and Riley Odoms (Denver, No. 5 in 1972). After three mediocre, injury-riddled seasons Davis finally broke out in 2009, co-leading the NFL in touchdown receptions. In the 2011 playoffs, Davis caught the game winning touchdown pass from Alex Smith against the New Orleans Saints, now referred to as "The Grab," or "The Catch III" and is considered one of the best catches in 49ers history.

Early life[link]

Davis attended Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C., and was a letterman in football, basketball, and track & field. Regarded as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Davis was listed as the No. 4 tight end prospect of the class of 2003.^[1] In track & field, he was the DCIAA champion in the high jump with a jump of 6 ft 5 in (196 cm). While attending at Dunbar, he was teammates with future Cleveland Browns kick return specialist and wide receiver, Joshua Cribbs.

High School football[link]

Davis played tight end and safety but he also played wide receiver, kick returner, linebacker and defensive end. In his senior season he caught 21 passes for 511 yards and 5 touchdowns, despite missing three games with a deep bone bruise below his knee. He also caught three two point conversions and returned two kick offs and two punts for touchdowns. He had 35 receptions for 385 yards as a junior.

Football Awards[link]

• Selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl
• Rated as the third-best tight end in the nation by ESPN.com's Tom Lemming
• A member of SuperPrep's Elite 50 and that publication's 39th-rated player nationally
• A Mid-Atlantic all-region pick by SuperPrep and the third-best player (at any position) in the region
• Second team All-USA by USA Today
• Ranked as the fourth-best tight end in the nation and the seventh-best player (overall) in the Atlantic East by Rivals.com
• Gatorade Player of the Year for the District of Columbia

College career[link]

Davis played college football at the University of Maryland, where he majored in studio art. In 2003, Davis saw the most consistent action of any true freshman, playing in all thirteen contests. He had five receptions for 87 yards (11.8 avg) and led the kickoff coverage unit with eight solo tackles.

In 2004, he played in every game, starting at H-back against Northern Illinois, Duke, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. He finished second on the team with 27 catches for 441 yards and had 16.3 avg and three touchdowns.

In 2005, Davis was a Consensus All-American and All-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team selection. He was a finalist for the Mackey Award, given to the nation’s top tight end. He started every game, leading the team with 51 receptions and the conference with 871 receiving yards (17.1 avg). His six touchdown catches rank tenth on the school's season-record list. His 51 receptions also rank tenth on the Terps’ annual record chart while his 871 yards rank fifth. He was graded 82.5% for blocking consistency as he registered 67 knockdowns, including 18 blocks down field and had eight touchdown-resulting blocks.

Davis was heavily involved with working out in college. He set school strength records (in spring of 2005) for a tight end in the bench press (465 pounds), power-clean (355 pounds), index (797 pounds) and squat (685 pounds). He finished his college career with 1371 yards on 83 receptions for 16.5 yards per catch, the best average of any first round tight end ever and more yards than other previous high first round tight ends such as Tony Gonzalez, Jeremy Shockey, Kyle Brady and Kellen Winslow II.

Professional career[link]

2006 NFL Draft[link]

Davis was selected 6th overall in the 1st round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the 49ers. He was the top tight end prospect in the NFL Draft, partially due to a strong performance at the scouting combine.^[2] He ran the 40 yard dash in 4.38 seconds. Davis also broad-jumped 10'08", nearly a foot farther than the next-best tight end, Marcedes Lewis.

Leading up to the draft, Vernon, along with fellow prospects A. J. Hawk and Jeremy Bloom, appeared in ads for Under Armour's new line of football cleats, with the slogan Click Clack (I think you hear us coming).

San Francisco 49ers[link]

2006 rookie season[link]

Vernon's first reception in the NFL was a 31-yard touchdown catch, against the Arizona Cardinals on September 10, 2006.^[5] He added a career-long 52-yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers on December 10 with a short catch followed by a long run. Davis played in ten games in the 2006 season due an injury he suffered on September 24, 2006. He sustained a hairline fracture to his left fibula, on a non-contact play against the Philadelphia Eagles, but returned on November 19 against the Seattle Seahawks. For the season, he had 265 yards receiving on 20 catches, averaging 13.2 yards per reception. He also had three receiving touchdowns.

2007 season[link]

In Week 3, Davis was injured while attempting to catch a pass from quarterback Alex Smith against the Steelers. Davis sprained his right knee and missed the next two games. Despite his injury and the 49ers' offensive ineptitude, Davis bettered most of the numbers from his rookie season. Even though his yards per reception diminished, he finished the season with 52 receptions for 509 yards and four touchdowns.

2008 season[link]

During October, after catching a seven-yard pass in the third quarter, Davis slapped Seahawks safety Brian Russell in the facemask, resulting in a 15-yard penalty, causing Coach Mike Singletary to bench him and then send him to the locker room for the game's remainder. After the game, Mike Singletary then spoke his infamous "I want winners" rant. This resulted in Vernon Davis changing his attitude from himself, to the team. The following game Vernon Davis leaped over a Cardinal defender and caught a pass from Shaun Hill resulting in a touchdown, his first of the season.^[6] He started all 16 regular season games, and finished the season with 31 receptions for 358 yards, and two touchdowns.^[7]

2009 season[link]

Through week 11 of the season, Davis led the NFL with nine touchdown receptions, tied with wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Randy Moss. In the final game of the season, he tied the all-time record for most touchdown receptions for a tight end in a single season (13),^[8] sharing the record set by Antonio Gates in 2004; that record stood until 2011, when it was broken by Rob Gronkowski. He was also selected to appear in his first Pro Bowl.

2010 season[link]

Before the season, he was awarded a five-year contract extension for $37 million with $23 million guaranteed. The deal made Davis the league's highest paid tight end.^[9] Against the Oakland Raiders in week six, he recorded his third straight game with a touchdown catch. Davis finished the season with 56 catches and 914 yards, resulting in 16.3 yards per catch.

2011 season[link]

Davis had 67 receptions for 792 yards with 6 touchdowns that year, helping the 49ers win the NFC West and make the postseason for the first time since the 2002 season. In the playoffs in the divisional round against the New Orleans Saints, he had seven receptions for 180 yards, breaking Kellen Winslow's record (166) for most yards by a tight end in a playoff game.^[10] He scored two touchdowns, and on the game-winning drive, he had a critical 47-yard reception that put the 49ers in a position to tie the game. With nine seconds remaining, Davis caught the game winning touchdown pass from Alex Smith, now referred to as "The Grab," or "The Catch III." Davis caught three passes for 112 yards and another two touchdown against the New York Giants in the NFC Championship Game, but the 49ers lost 20–17 in overtime.^[11]

Career Statistics[link]

Personal[link]

Davis was a studio art major at Maryland.

Vernon is nicknamed Duke because he looks identical to his father, whose name is Duke. College teammates later changed his nickname to "The Duke," and "Cyborg", a nickname earned playing for the Maryland Terrapins.

Davis' brother, Vontae, is currently a cornerback for the Miami Dolphins.

Davis' brother, Michael Davis, was arrested in the Petworth area of Washington, D.C. on Thursday, April 27, 2012 for two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. Michael is suspected of three similar attacks for which there is an investigation but no charge.^[12]

Davis made a cameo appearance in the music video for the song "Get Lo" by Ron Artest and Mike Jones.

Davis also made an appearance on Pretty Wild.^{[citation needed]}

Davis is an avid Curling fan and player. He hosted an event for his charity in San Jose, CA in which the event was curling. Davis was named honorary captain of the Men's U.S. Olympic Curling team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.^[13] He attended most of the team's matches and is considered an ambassador for the game.

Ahead of the 2010 NFL match with the Denver Broncos at Wembley Stadium in London, Davis announced that he is a fan of the English Football League Championship (second division of English football) team West Ham United.

In late 2010, Davis founded Modern Class Design (MCD) with business partner Antone Barnes. Modern Class Design is a full-service fine arts and interior design company that offers comprehensive design services for homes and commercial spaces including interiors and landscape architecture.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Vernon Davis

• Official website
• Vernon Davis on Twitter
• 49ers Player Bio
• Vernon Davis, Player Sports Reference
• Modern Class Design Website

Robert Allan "Rob" Gronkowski (born May 14, 1989) is an American football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Arizona.

Gronkowski owns a number of NFL tight end scoring and receiving records, including the single-season records for tight ends for most receiving touchdowns (17), most total touchdowns (18), and most receiving yards (1,327), all set in 2011. He is also the first tight end in NFL history to lead the league in receiving touchdowns for an entire season.

Early years[link]

Gronkowski, who is often called "Gronk,"^[1] was born in Amherst, New York to parents Gordon Gronkowski and Diane Gronkowski. His father started for three years as an offensive guard on the Syracuse University football team. His great-grandfather, Ignatius Gronkowski, was a member of the 1924 U.S. Olympic cycling team in Paris.^[2] Gronkowski is the second-youngest of five brothers. The eldest, Gordie, Jr., played baseball at Jacksonville University and was on the professional Canadian-American league Worcester Tornadoes' 2011 roster. Chris played football for two years at University of Maryland before transferring to Arizona, and is now the starting fullback for the NFL Indianapolis Colts. Dan played as a tight end at Maryland and was selected in the 2009 NFL Draft. The youngest brother, Glenn, is attending Kansas State University.^[3]

Gronkowski was raised in Williamsville, New York close to Buffalo and attended Williamsville North High School for three years. He played football as a tight end and basketball as a center. As a junior, he recorded 36 receptions for 648 yards and seven touchdowns, and 73 tackles and six sacks on defense. He was named an All-Western New York first-team and All-State second-team player.^[4]

In 2006, he moved to Pennsylvania, where he attended Woodland Hills High School as a senior. He was initially ruled ineligible by the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League,^[5] but that ruling was overturned and Gronkowski recorded eight receptions for 152 yards and four touchdowns at Woodland Hills. He was named a SuperPrep All-American, PrepStar All-American, Associated Press Class 4-A all-state, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Fabulous 22", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette first-team all-conference, The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, PA) "Platinum 33", and a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review "Terrific 25" player.^[4] He was recruited by Arizona, Clemson, Louisville, Maryland, Ohio State, and Syracuse.^[6]

College career[link]

Following high school, Gronkowski attended the University of Arizona. As a true freshman in 2007, Gronkowski recorded 28 receptions for 525 yards and six touchdowns. His 18.8 yards per reception average was the best on the team and his receiving yards were a then school record for a tight end. He was named a The Sporting News freshman All-American, Rivals.com freshman All-American, The Sporting News freshman Pac-10, and All-Pac-10 honorable mention player.^[4]

Gronkowski missed the first three games of the 2008 season, but later recorded 47 receptions for 672 yards and a team-best ten touchdowns. Five of his touchdowns were scored in his first two games. He was twice named the John Mackey National Tight End of the Week, including for his performance in a failed comeback bid against Oregon, where he caught 12 passes for 143 yards. He set the school tight end records for single-game, single-season, and career receptions, yards, and touchdowns. Gronkowski was named an Associated Press third-team All-American and All-Pac-10 first-team tight end.^[4]

Prior to the 2009 season, he was named to the Lombardi Award watchlist for the most outstanding college football lineman or linebacker.^[7]

Professional career[link]

2010 NFL Draft[link]

New England Patriots[link]

Gronkowski was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year contract on July 25, 2010.^[10] The deal was worth $4.4 million, with a $1.76 million signing bonus.

2010 season[link]

During the preseason, Gronkowski was one of three NFL players to score four touchdowns, tying Victor Cruz, a rookie wide receiver for the New York Giants and Anthony Dixon, a running back for the San Francisco 49ers. On one of those touchdowns, a 14-yard pass from Tom Brady, Gronkowski dragged St. Louis Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis several yards before diving into the end zone. In the Week 1 game against Cincinnati, Gronkowski caught his first regular season touchdown in the fourth quarter on a one-yard pass from Brady.

In a Week 10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Gronkowski caught three touchdown passes from Brady, becoming the first rookie in Patriots history, and the youngest rookie in NFL history to accomplish the feat.^[11] (In honor of the feat, Madden NFL 12 has a "Rob Gronkowski Award" for players who have a tight end catch three or more touchdowns in a single game.)

Returning to his home city of Buffalo in Week 16, Gronkowski caught two touchdowns against the Buffalo Bills, giving him nine touchdown catches on the season. He added a touchdown in the season finale, giving him 10 on the season, and making him the first rookie tight end since the NFL-AFL merger to score 10 touchdowns. In 16 games played (11 starts), Gronkowski caught 42 passes for 546 yards. Despite missing his entire 2009 college season following back surgery, Gronkowski did not miss a single game or practice all season.^[12]

Gronkowski was nominated three times for Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week, in Weeks 10, 14, and 17, losing in Week 10 to Tim Tebow, and winning in Weeks 14 and 17. Gronkowski also finished fifth in fan balloting at tight end for the 2011 Pro Bowl, and fourth overall among rookies.^[13] Gronkowski also received one writer's vote for the Associated Press 2010 All-Pro Team (writers only vote for one tight end).

2011 season[link]

Gronkowski caught his first touchdown of the 2011 season on a 10-yard pass from Tom Brady in the Patriots' Week 1 victory over the Miami Dolphins; Gronkowski's 6 passes accounted for 86 of Brady's franchise record 517 yards. In Week 11, Gronkowski caught two touchdown passes, including a career-long 52-yard catch and run, to equal his 2010 TD total in just ten games; he passed his reception and yardage totals from 2010 in only eight games.

Through Week 11, Gronkowski led all tight ends with 10 touchdowns; his 20 TDs were the most ever for a TE in his first two seasons. His reception and receiving yardage totals both ranked second among TEs (after Jimmy Graham of the New Orleans Saints), and in the top ten among all receivers, though they only ranked second on the Patriots, behind Wes Welker.

Gronkowski broke the NFL record for touchdowns scored in a single season by a tight end when he had the second three-TD game of his career in the Patriots' Week 13 victory against the Indianapolis Colts. After scoring two TDs on receptions from Tom Brady, Gronkowski scored a third touchdown from 2 yards out. Initially declared a forward pass, the pass was later ruled a lateral pass,^[14] which is recorded as a rushing attempt; it was the first rushing attempt of Gronkowski's career, and his first rushing touchdown. It was also the first rushing touchdown by a tight end since Bo Scaife did it in 2006,^[14] and the first in Patriots history.^[15] At game's end, Gronkowski had sole possession of the touchdown scoring record, with 14, and shared the record for receiving touchdowns, 13, with Antonio Gates and Vernon Davis.

Gronkowski took sole possession of the TE receiving record a week later against the Washington Redskins, in which he caught his 14th and 15th touchdown passes of the season; in total, he had six receptions for a career-high 160 yards. His performance also earned him his first AFC Offensive Player of the Week award,^[16] and, for the second week in a row, NFL.com's "Hardest Working Man" award.^[17] He ended the season with 1,327 receiving yards, breaking the previous NFL record for a tight end of 1,290 set by Kellen Winslow in 1980.^[18] He also finished with 18 total touchdowns, 17 receiving—both NFL records for tight ends. Gronkowski's 18 touchdowns were the second-highest total in the NFL (after Philadelphia's LeSean McCoy, who had 20), and equaled the output of the entire St. Louis Rams team. His 17 receiving touchdowns were the most of any NFL player in 2011, marking the first time in NFL history a tight end had sole possession of the league lead.

Gronkowski was voted the starting tight end for the AFC at the 2012 Pro Bowl. One of eight Patriots players voted to the Pro Bowl, he finished fan voting with 936,886 votes, more than triple the number received by the number two tight end, Gronkowski's teammate Aaron Hernandez, and the third-highest total of any AFC player, behind teammates Tom Brady and Wes Welker. He was also voted the tight end for the AP All-Pro first team, receiving 44½ of the 50 votes (44 voters voted for Gronkowski; 5 voters voted for Jimmy Graham, and one voter split a vote between the two).^[19]

2011 post-season[link]

In the Patriots' first playoff game, a 45–10 rout of the Denver Broncos in the Divisional round, Gronkowski tied an NFL post-season record, catching three touchdown passes as part of a 10-catch, 145-yard effort. Gronkowski alone had more catches than the entire Broncos offense, as quarterback Tim Tebow completed just 9 of 26 passes.

For the second playoff game, a 23-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Gronkowski had 5 catches for 87 yards, with a long reception of 23 yards. In the second half, Gronkowski suffered a high ankle sprain on a tackle by Ravens safety Bernard Pollard; the status of his ankle was one of the major story lines in the runup to Super Bowl XLVI. The Patriots went on to lose the Super bowl 21-17.^[20]

Gronkowski–Hernandez tandem[link]

Gronkowski was one of two tight ends the Patriots drafted in 2010; in the fourth round, the Patriots drafted Florida tight end Aaron Hernandez; at the start of the 2011 season, they were the only tight ends on the Patriots' 53-man roster.

Gronkowski and Hernandez have had unparalleled production at the tight end position; according to NBC Sports, Hernandez and Gronkowski are the first pair of tight ends in NFL history to catch 5 touchdown passes in consecutive seasons with the same team. In 2011 they also set NFL records for yardage, receptions, and touchdowns by tight ends on one team, combining for 169 receptions, 2,237 yards, and 24 touchdowns. The previous records for receptions and yards by tight ends on a single team was set in 1984 by the San Diego Chargers, who had four tight ends combine for 163 receptions and 1,927 yards;^[21] the 24 touchdowns eclipsed the record of 18 touchdowns caught by Gronkowski, Hernandez, and Alge Crumpler in 2010.

A poll by ESPN.com's AFC East blog nicknamed the duo "The Boston TE Party."^[22]

NFL records[link]

• Youngest player with 3 touchdown receptions in a game: 21 years, 214 days (2010, vs. Pittsburgh Steelers)
• Youngest player with 3 touchdown receptions in a game, playoffs: 22 years, 275 days (2011 playoffs, vs. Denver Broncos)
• Most touchdown receptions by a tight end, season: 17 (2011)
• Most touchdowns by a tight end, season: 18 (2011)
• First tight end to lead the league in receiving touchdowns (2011)
• Most receiving yards by a tight end, season: 1,327 (2011)

References[link]