July 9, 2008

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland football player Dan Gronkowski just might be the quintessential student-athlete. The 6-foot-6-inch tight end has been a standout in the classroom, having been nominated for Academic All-America honors the past two seasons. He graduated in May 2007 with a degree in marketing and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree, which he anticipates completing by the end of the 2008-09 school year.

On the gridiron Gronkowski is no slouch either. He shared starting tight-end duties the previous two seasons with Joey Haynos, and will enter preseason camp No. 1 on the depth chart for the Terps. Starting in eight games during 2007, Gronkowski notched career highs with seven receptions for 66 yards, despite being used primarily in a blocking role.

Gronkowski sat down with umterps.com in the team's locker room earlier this week.

Do you find it difficult to balance the time commitments involved in both playing football and obtaining an MBA?

"Yeah, it's a lot of work being in school and playing football at the same time. The one thing with my degree is that I don't have to take as many credits. I usually take 11 or 12 credits a semester instead of 15 for undergrad, so it kind of balances out to being about the same workload. But any time you combine football with school and studying and practice and having to attend various meetings, it's a lot to handle, regardless of whether you're in MBA school or not."

You arrived at Maryland as a quarterback. What was it like transitioning to your current position?

"I went through spring ball when I first got here (in 2004) and then I switched during my first camp. It was a big change at the time. I had played wide receiver in high school, so it wasn't too big of a change in terms of catching the ball, but I hadn't been down in a stance before then. That was a new experience, but I caught on fast and it seems like a natural position for me."

"I've always been labeled as a blocking (tight end), and that's really where I established myself. With players like Vernon (Davis) in front of you, I really didn't have much of a chance to catch passes early on. But I've definitely developed my receiving game, and want to get out there this year and show people what I can do with that."

For what purpose would you ultimately like to use your MBA?

"I hope to own a business one day. I don't know what type of business, but that's my goal. I want to have a successful business."

You come from a very athletic household. Your father owns a string of national fitness outlets and you have several family members who were or continue to be collegiate athletes. Who in your family would you say is the most athletic?

"Right now I'd have to say my brother Rob is probably the most athletic. He plays tight end for Arizona, and he had a really good season last year. He's the second youngest of five brothers and we always picked on him, so he's real tough also."

Is there any significance for you to wearing jersey No. 13?

"I actually got that number during my freshman year of high school. My teammate was a big Miami Dolphins fan, and he wanted me to wear it so I would be like Dan Marino when I threw the ball to him. It stuck with me when I came here as a quarterback, and I kept it when I switched to tight end."

What is your outlook for the 2008 football season?

"I'm really looking forward to this year. We have a lot of seniors, and I just want to have a good year with the team. If we have a good year as a team, then that means every player had a good year, and that's really all you can ask for."

Terp Notes:

Season Tickets on Sale:Season tickets for this fall's seven-game home slate start as low as $189 and are on sale through the Maryland Athletics Ticket Office. Call 1-800-IM-A-TERP or click here for information.

Stadium Construction Update: Construction continues on the suites at Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium. Click here to view the construction cam and a blog.