Tom Brady Says He's Just Making Himself At Home In 'Tompa Bay'

TAMPA, FL —New Bucs quarterback Tom Brady is now joking about getting the boot from a Tampa park while he was working out on Monday.

All Tampa city parks have been closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. So, when a parks employee spotted someone exercising in one of the parks, she approached him to tell him the rules.

She was surprised to find herself face to face with the Hall of Famer who led the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl championships.

When the parks employee shared her celebrity close encounter with city employees, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor tweeted that Tom Brady had been "sighted" at a Tampa park. But some national media outlets mistakenly thought she meant Brady had received a citation, so word of Brady's faux pas made news around the country.

On his Twitter page Thursday, Brady laughed off the incident, retweeting a TMZ spoof about him accidentally walking into the wrong house in Tampa. On April 7, he went to the home of Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich to pick up some materials but got the addresses mixed up and walked into a stranger's house instead.

"Trespassing in parks, breaking and entering... Just making myself at home in Tompa Bay!" he quipped.

Brady also confirmed the news via Twitter that former teammate Rob Gronkowsk will be joining him on the Tampa Bay Bucs.

The news was leaked Tuesday but the Bucs organization confirmed it Wednesday, issuing a news release saying the "Buccaneers sent a fourth-round selection (No. 139 overall) in the 2020 NFL Draft in exchange for Gronkowski and a 2020 seventh-round pick (No. 241 overall.)

Gronkowski retired in March 2019 after nine NFL seasons in New England, winning three Super Bowls and earning five Pro Bowl selections.

Gronkowski has 28 career 100-yard receiving performances, which rank second all-time by a tight end, behind only Tony Gonzalez (31). He was the fastest tight end in league history to both 7,500 receiving yards (108 games) and 75 receiving touchdowns (98 games) and is one of just four tight ends to ever record four 1,000-yard receiving seasons along with Gonzalez, Travis Kelce and Jason Witten.

Despite spending the 2019 season out of football, Gronkowski leads all current players with his 79 receiving touchdowns since he entered the league in 2010. He also ranks second among tight ends during that span in receiving yards with 7,861.

In the postseason, Gronkowski has played in and started 16 games, accumulating 81 receptions for 1,163 yards and 12 touchdowns. He owns the records for both postseason receiving yards and postseason receptions by a tight end. Meanwhile, his 12 postseason receiving touchdowns are tied with John Stallworth for the second-most in league history among all players, trailing only Jerry Rice (22).

Gronkowski and Brady spent nine seasons together in New England, combining for 78 touchdowns, a mark which ranks second all-time among quarterback-tight end connections and fifth in league history among all quarterback-receiver duos. The 7,786 regular season passing yards accumulated from Brady to Gronkowski also rank second among all quarterback to tight end combinations, trailing only Philip Rivers/Antonio Gates (9,352).

Following his retirement from the NFL, Gronkowski signed a contract to join the WWE and was named host of Wrestlemania 36, originally scheduled in Tampa but moved to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando when sports events were shut down due to the coronavirus.

During the April event, Gronkowski won his first WWE title, pinning his good friend Mojo Rawley to be crowned the 24/7 champion. Unlike other WWE belts, the 24/7 allows wrestlers to challenge the champion at any place and time.

He also recently debuted his singing skills on Fox's "The Masked Singer."

Dubbing himself "Yo Soy Fiesta," Gronkowksi prides himself on his party spirit. Nevertheless, he said it was time to get serious about returning to the gridiron.

"I've always said from the beginning that I won't come back unless I'm feeling it -- I'm feeling good, feeling healthy and feeling like I'm ready to go," said Gronkowski during a Zoom conference posted on YouTube by the Tampa Bay Bucs. "And now this is the case, this is the time. It wasn't the case last year. My body 100 percent needed a rest. I've played football for, whatever, 15 years straight -- college, high school, NFL -- and I was taking hits, surgeries, everything. I didn't have that fire beneath me."

It wasn't until a few weeks ago that Gronkowski said the desire to return to the game began taking hold.

"As time rolled on the last couple of weeks, my body started to feel good and my desire to play football was coming back," he said. "I just felt in the last couple of weeks it was the right time to hop on before it was too late."

Sports fans are calling the reunion between Brady and Gronkowski the combination that will take the Bucs to the Super Bowl, which happens to be in Tampa in 2021.

"Rob Gronkowski is one of the best tight ends in NFL history and he plays the game with the type of passion and desire that sets him apart," said Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht. "Rob has played his entire career alongside Tom Brady and their accomplishments speak for themselves. Together they have developed the type of chemistry on and off the field that is crucial to success. Rob combines elite-level skills as both a receiver and blocker but what really makes him special is the fact that he's a proven winner who brings that championship mindset and work ethic."

Bucs fans might hear from both Brady and The Gronk during Thursday's Buccaneers Virtual Draft Party presented by Miller Lite beginning at 7 p.m. via the team's Official Fans Group on Facebook.

To participate, fans must be members of the Buccaneers Facebook Fans Group – if you aren't already a member, you can join here. Hosted by team reporter Casey Phillips and senior writer Scott Smith, fans will have the opportunity to interact during the livestreamed prime time event. The live portion will take place before the draft kicks off and will also feature celebrity and player guests dropping in.

Confirmed participants include the Backstreet Boy and Bucs Super Fan Nick Carter along with the trio of 2019's first three draft picks, inside linebacker Devin White, cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting and cornerback Jamel Dean.

The virtual draft party will offer exclusive features and content that can't be found anywhere else along with fan interaction, giveaways and a rolling comments section. The conversation will continue through the first round of the NFL Draft on the group page after the livestream ends.

See related stories:

• Tom Brady Kicked Out Of Tampa Park While Working Out
• Is The Gronk Really Headed To Tampa Bay To Play For The Bucs?
• Tom Brady Signs Multi-Year Contract With Tampa Bay Bucs
• Tom Brady Is Tampa Bay Buccaneers New Quarterback: Report
• Rob Gronkowski Headed To Tampa Bay To Team With Tom Brady: Report