Rob Gronkowski is considered one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history. But last season, the FOX Sports analyst was still a relative rookie by the standards of his new team on “FOX NFL Sunday,” which was celebrating its 30th year on TV.

So the crew of the iconic NFL pregame show, including longtime cast members Curt Menefee, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Michael Strahan and Jay Glazer, decided to give the new guy some hazing. While previewing a season-ending game between the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills last December, they put their joke into action.

“He thought we were going live with an extra segment,” Glazer explained. “Everyone at FOX knows this isn’t real, except Gronk. And the premise was I wanted to break the news that the Cowboys were activating this great Pro Bowl tight end, that doesn’t exist. And Gronk has to walk away on what he thinks live TV is to talk about this tight end.”

The fake tight end’s name was Rich Russo. That also happens to be the name of the man who directed five FOX Sports Super Bowl game broadcasts — but as a studio analyst, Gronkowski wasn’t familiar with the real Rich Russo.

Sure enough, the segment quickly “interrupts” Menefee and throws to Glazer, who says he just got off the phone with Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy and McCarthy told him Russo will be active for Dallas’ game against the Bills in Buffalo. . Gronkowski nervously nods along as Strahan talks about how Russo helps the Cowboys’ offense. The camera even cuts to an image with Russo’s supposed likeness.

Long then goes a step further and claims some compared Russo to Gronkowski, prompting Menefee to ask the New England Patriots legend where he ranks Russo among current tight ends.

“Um, he’s been out for a while, so he might be a little rusty when he comes back, but I think they’re going to give him the opportunities, that’s for sure,” Gronkowski said.

To Gronkowski’s credit, he also says Russo could be a good 1-2 combination at the position next to (very real) Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson — while Strahan struggles to keep a straight face next to him. Gronkowski even defends Ferguson when Glazer suggests Russo’s “return” could change Ferguson’s role, and Bradshaw tries to push back – claiming Russo’s “injury” was missing two fingers on his right hand.

“So will that affect him if he gets a pass?” says Gronkowski. “No, I still have all five fingers.”

When Bradshaw points out that Gronkowski actually has ten fingers, the entire crew bursts into laughter, and Menefee reveals the joke to Gronkowski, causing even more laughter as Gronkowski’s eyes widen in realization.

“Right when it was done, I wanted to say, ‘Guys, I’ve never heard of Rich Russo in my life,’” Gronkowski said.

The video of the prank was first shared publicly during Sunday’s edition of the pregame show. Gronkowski watched it this summer and said he learned two things from watching himself wrestle on “live TV.”

“One, I’m a funny guy,” Gronkowski said. “No. 2, I’m always ready.”

That, and as Glazer reminded him, he has ten fingers.

You can watch FOX NFL Sunday every Sunday during the NFL season at 12:00 PM ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app. Gronkowski will also be reunited at FOX with his old teammate, new FOX Sports lead NFL analyst Tom Brady, who you can see every week this season on FOX Sports’ leading NFL broadcast team and at Super Bowl LIX.

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