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 late-season game between the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills last December, they put their prank into action.

“He thought we were going live with an extra segment,” Glazer explained. “Everybody at FOX knows this is not real — except for Gronk. And the premise was, I was going to ‘break news’ that the Cowboys were activating this great Pro Bowl tight end, who doesn’t exist. And Gronk has to go on what he thinks is live TV 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 has directed five FOX Sports Super Bowl game broadcasts — but as a studio analyst, Gronkowski was unfamiliar with the real Rich Russo.

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

Long then takes the bit a step further, claiming that some were comparing Russo to Gronkowski, prompting Menefee to ask the New England Patriots legend where he ranks Russo among current tight ends.

“Uh, he’s been out for a little bit so he might be a little rusty coming back, but I think they’re going to give him the opportunities, that’s for sure,” Gronkowski says. 

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

“So is that going to affect him when he’s catching a pass?” Gronkowski says. “I don’t, I still have all five of my fingers.”

When Bradshaw points out Gronkowski actually has 10 fingers, the entire crew collapses in laughter, and Menefee reveals the prank to Gronkowski, causing even more laughter as Gronkowski’s eyes widen in realization.

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

The video of the prank was shared publicly for the first time on Sunday’s edition of the pregame show. Gronkowski had seen it over the summer, and said he learned two things from watching himself struggle on “live TV.”

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

That, and as Glazer reminded him, he has 10 fingers.

You can watch FOX NFL Sunday every Sunday during the NFL season at 12 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports App. Gronkowski is also reunited at FOX with his longtime teammate, new FOX Sports lead NFL analyst Tom Brady, who you can catch on FOX Sports’ lead NFL broadcast team every week this season and at Super Bowl LIX.

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