A Woodland Hills alumni who was able to parlay strength that was fostered in the high school’s weight room into an NFL career partnered with U.S. Steel to create an upgraded fitness center at the high school.

“We started working on this eight or nine months ago,” Ty Brown, the district’s athletic director, said.

The district set up a video call with Rob Gronkowski, a 2007 graduate with four Super Bowl rings that some consider to be the best tight end to play on the gridiron.

Gronkowski played eight seasons with the New England Patriots and two with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was a thorn in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ side. He had 41 catches for 685 yards and eight touchdowns in seven games against the Steelers.

Once Gronkowski saw that the conditioning equipment Woodland Hill High School was using predated his time at the school, he was on board to help pay for the upgrades through his foundation, Brown said.

“‘It’s time for a makeover,’” he said to Brown.

Once Gronkowski was on board, the district turned to U.S. Steel, which also looms large in the district with its Edgar Thompson Works in Braddock.

“It was a no-brainer to get them on board,” Brown said.

It’s among projects U.S. Steel supports in the region, spokeswoman Amanda Malkowski said.

The Pittsburgh-based company has given about $6 million to similar projects in Western Pennsylvania, Malkowski said.

Together, Gronkowski and U.S. Steel donated $400,000 for the upgrade, Brown said.

The fitness center is used by all students, not only the athletes, and there are plans for limited community use, Brown said.

#USSteel recently donated $200,000 to renovate the Woodland Hills Fitness Center in Pittsburgh’s eastern suburbs. The center serves more than 1,000 people in the area, including many of our Mon Valley Works employees and their families. Learn more. https://t.co/O36oeE0QlL

— U. S. Steel (@U_S_Steel) September 13, 2024