Rob Gronkowski says he suffered roughly 20 concussions and 'five blackout ones'

Retired New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has been prolific in just about every category during his career — for better and for worse.

He provided a staggering number from his career: roughly 20 concussions including “five blackout ones.” Gronk has dealt with countless injuries to his back, forearm and knees, which have resulted in nine surgeries. Those injuries are all public knowledge. But injuries to the brain are much easier to conceal, which makes the number such a surprise.

The former Patriot dived into the topic when asked if he’d let his children play football.

“I will let my son play football, but first, I will educate him on the game, educate him on what I went through,” Gronk said during a recent sit-down interview with CBS News. “I truly believe that anything, any injury that you receive is fixable, though. I went through my career and probably had like 20 concussions in my life. No lie. I remember like five blackout ones.”

During Gronkowski’s career, he had three documented concussions. The NFL has emphasized increased safety measures after studies have shown a linkage between repeated head trauma and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.

Gronkowski’s injury history seems to indicate that players are still suffering concussions without proper treatment.

Gallery The best photos of Rob Gronkowski from 2018 season View 14 photos

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