Football fans were shocked to learn that Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is a coin collector.
On Wednesday night ESPN Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell tweeted a new detail about Gronkowski’s $1million home being burglarized on February 5, the night the Patriots lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII.
According to Rovell, Professional Coin Grading Services (PCGS) said the suspects were caught after they tried selling two of Gronkowski’s Proof Morgan Dollars to a local coin dealer.
Gronkowski, 28, had numbers for the coins that tied them back to him.
Rob Gronkowski, tight end for the New England Patriots is apparently a coin collector
It was revealed that the suspects were caught after they sold the athlete’s two Proof Morgan Dollars (pictured) to a local coin dealer
Gronkowski was not home at the time of the burglary. The 28-year-old football star was at the Super Bowl playing against the Philadelphia Eagles. Gronkowski is pictured celebrating during the second quarter of the game although his team ended up losing
Fans immediately commented on Rovell’s post saying they were surprised to learn the athlete collected rare coins.
‘Can we all agree the most shocking part is That Gronk collects coins?’ a user named Robb Fluet tweeted.
‘Didn’t know Rob G was a coin collector. That’s a fun fact!’ another Twitter user named RBL wrote.
‘So Gronk is a coin collector! Nice,’ user anytime55 tweeted, referring to Gronkowski by his nickname ‘the Gronk’.
Nasdaq reports that all PCGS coins are issued a unique PCGS certificate number. Gronkowski kept his certificates and passed that information on to the Numismatic Crime Information Center, which was working with police in Massachusetts.
Doug Davis, the founder of the Numismatic Crime Information Center, told the outlet that a local dealer ‘identified Gronkowski and other members of the household as victims and requested our assistance in possibly sending out an alert, since he was able to provide (PCGS) certification numbers on the two coins.’
Authorities arrested 28-year-old Eric Tyrell (left) on two counts of receiving stolen property and 31-year-old Anthony Almeida (right) on breaking and entering, receiving stolen property and malicious destruction of property
The third suspect was identified as 26-year-old Shayne Denn. He was also arrested in connection to the burglary
Gronkowski called police on Monday, February 5, when he returned home from the Super Bowl and found that his $1million house in Foxborough, Massachusetts had been burglarized
He added: ‘Later, within 30 minutes of sending out the alert I received a call from another dealer who advised he had the coins and the identity of the person who sold them.’
All three men suspected of burglarizing the athlete’s home were arrested, the outlet reports.
Eric Tyrell, 28, who was wanted on two counts of receiving stolen property, turned himself in on March 27.
Police also arrested 31-year-old Anthony Almeida in connection with the burglary. He has been charged with breaking and entering, receiving stolen property and malicious destruction of property.
The third suspect was identified as 26-year-old Shayne Denn.
In February, authorities released the 911 call Gronkowski made after he returned home from the Super Bowl in Minneapolis.
‘Hello, this isn’t an emergency,’ he told the dispatcher at the beginning of the call.
‘This is just, this is Rob Gronkowski calling, and while I was gone my whole house got robbed, while on the Super Bowl trip and I just got back.’
Gronkowski, pictured at Super Bowl XLIX i8n February 2015, has not commented on the burglary or the arrests of the suspects
Gronkowski’s roommates also reported items missing.
The Foxborough Police Department have recovered an Apple watch and a Rolex in addition to the rare coins so far.
The initial dispatch call, however, noted that ‘multiple safes’ and ‘possible guns’ may have been taken in the heist.
Gronkowski has yet to comment on the crime or the arrests. A neighbor previously told Boston 25 that he noticed something off on Super Bowl Sunday, but did not alert police at the time.
‘We went past the house on Sunday, about 12:30-1 p.m., and I happened to notice the gate was ajar, which is very unusual,’ said Tom Savino.
‘You never see that gate ajar. So, as a joke, my son and I said, “Gee, maybe we should just call the police or something.” Now I’m sort of sorry I didn’t.’