There was a poignant moment at the end of Super Bowl LIII when the cameras caught the NFL’s foremost frat bro waxing philosophical. “You’re a hell of a coach. You’re the best,” New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski told head coach Bill Belichick as they celebrated their win over the Los Angeles Rams. “We found a way; we found our identity. That’s all we needed to do. … Keep on grinding.”

With that, Gronkowski erupted into a goofy cackle. His Hall of Fame career was defined by clutch play on the field and playful exuberance off it. Arguably the best tight end in football, by the time of his retirement he was indisputably the game’s most colorful character. There was the beer-chugging during Super Bowl parades and the shirtless poses with porn stars, followed by sheepish apologies. Or the time in London’s Wembley Stadium when he capped his trademark post-score spike of the football with a marching routine.