Rob Gronkowski, Buccaneers team up, replace Tampa high school’s football equipment after fire

TAMPA, Fla. — Rob Gronkowski has yet to make a catch for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the veteran tight end has already made some big plays.

Gronkowski, who was traded to Tampa Bay after spending nine seasons with the New England Patriots, announced Tuesday that his foundation and the Bucs are replacing a storage shed that burned down last month at a Tampa high school, WFLA reported. Gronkowski also said Blake High School’s football equipment that was lost in the fire will also be replaced.

“The Gronk Nation Youth Foundation and my new team -- the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- are all about helping youth reach their full potential. So we’re gonna do just that,” Gronkowski said in a video message posted to Twitter. “To the Blake High School Yellow Jackets, you’re getting a brand new storage unit and new football equipment to replace everything that was lost, courtesy of our foundation and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Foundation."

Tampa Fire Rescue investigators estimated the loss of the shed and its contents at around $11,000, according to WFLA.

A juvenile was later arrested and charged with two counts of second-degree arson and one count of burglary, the television station reported.

Cox Media Group