NFL Greats Rob Gronkowski, Troy Aikman Score Touchdowns in Visits to JBSA, Fort Bliss Stores
Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski couldn’t meet every fan at the JBSA-Randolph Exchange one-on-one, so he went down the line of fans, offering high-fives.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman drew hundreds of fans to appearances at Exchanges in Texas last week, with Gronkowski’s visit coming the day after he announced his retirement on Instagram.
Gronkowski greeted fans June 22 at the Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Air Force Base BX, where more than 500 customers lined up for a meet-and-greet.
Gronkowski was accompanied by his brothers Chris and Glenn, both former NFL fullbacks, although they stayed on the sidelines while Rob greeted customers, some of whom had waited in the Randolph BX’s breezeway overnight to be among the first to greet the star.
Although time limitations prevented Gronkowski from meeting every shopper, he ran by the line, giving everyone waiting high-fives and signing autographs.
“He was very personable,” said Wendy Six, Randolph’s Sales & Merchandise manager. “He wanted to give everybody personal time, but we only had an hour with him. He didn’t have to do that run to give high-fives to all the customers, but he did it out of courtesy, because that’s the way he is. He was excited to see all the people here, and said that he had the best response from our customers.”
Randolph’s security forces provided barriers and crowd control, and the Merchandising directorate’s Planning, Allocation & Replenishment (PAR) team provided footballs for Gronkowski to sign. “Footballs are hard to find at any retail facility right now,” Six said. “I had been working with the PAR team for about a month to find a source that could provide footballs for this event.”
Rob Gronkowski presented an autographed Tampa Bay Buccaneers helmet to JBSA-Fort Sam Houston General Manager Eddie Devlin at an NFL ProCamp attended by 150 San Antonio youths.
Gronkowski was also at JBSA to kick off this year’s NFL ProCamps for military kids at Fort Sam Houston. He and his brothers were joined at the ProCamp by former NFL running back Jamaal Charles. ProCamps, sponsored by the Exchange and Procter & Gamble, are taking place this summer at nine Exchange locations in the continental United States.
This was the first time that Fort Sam Houston hosted a ProCamp, which was attended by 150 youths from Robert G. Cole High School in San Antonio. Gronkowski presented a signed Tampa Bay Buccaneers helmet to Eddie Devlin, general manager of the Fort Sam Houston Exchange.
“He was an absolutely awesome, down-to-earth person,” said Sales & Merchandise Manager Deborah Williams. “He was so personable and hands on with the kids, encouraging and being a real role model. The kids were so happy and had the best time.”
Gronkowski appeared on a July 2020 episode of the Exchange’s “Chief Chat,” which you can watch here.
Troy Aikman with Pat Tinker, Fort Bliss’ Main Store Manager.
Aikman, who recently moved to ESPN after years as a Fox Sports NFL analyst, has been on a tour promoting his new low-cal, low-carb beer EIGHT Elite Lager (for the uninitiated, 8 was Aikman’s jersey number).
On June 21, he stopped by Fort Bliss, where the Exchange coordinated with the protocol chief of the 1st Armored Division, which arranged for Aikman to do physical training with Soldiers from the 1/67 and 1/77 Armor Battalions. He ate breakfast in a dining facility with 2nd Brigade Soldiers, met with Division senior leadership and toured Fort Bliss, including exploring vehicles and helicopters.
After his tour, Aikman visited the Fort Bliss PX, where he greeted 200 fans, signing autographs and taking pictures for about 40 minutes before he had to catch a flight to his next stop.
“Such an honor to spend the day with our brave men and women soldiers at Fort Bliss, the United States Army post in El Paso, Texas,” Aikman posted on Instagram.
For more photos of Gronkowski and Aikman’s visits, check out the Exchange Associate Flickr.
