FOXBORO, Mass. -- You know Gronk. But this is about Gron-Crouseki. He's 14 months old and already on his third New England Patriots mini-jersey.
Formidable stats, indeed, and there he was -- Gabe Crouse -- in the arms of his mother as they and throngs of others gathered in the rain to watch the Patriots' first open training session Friday morning.
His mother, Kate Crouse, her husband, Zachary Crouse, and her mother, Sandy Patterson, who lives in Warren, stayed close beneath an umbrella as the players trained and scrimmaged on practice fields in the shadow of Gillette Stadium.
Gabe's gotten the moniker resembling the nickname of the Patriots player Rob Gronkowski, as he's grown, according to family.
For Zachary Crouse, it had been a long journey. He's a member of the Navy Sea Bees, stationed in Gulfport, Miss. He's on two weeks' leave and knew he'd plan things around catching the Patriots. There was a 25-hour drive to get to Warren. Then at about 6 a.m. Friday, they all set out for Gillette Stadium.
Patterson recalled the days when she would watch the Patriots train at what was then known as Bryant College in Smithfield. "It was a little more low key" in those days," she said.
There were cheers when the Patriots scrimmaged, hinting at the season to come. And there was no indication from Patriots fans who were interviewed that the criminal allegations surrounding now-former Patriot Aaron Hernandez were having any effect on their enthusiasm for the team. They generally thought the Patriots organization had handled the matter well.
As the morning session finished, screams erupted when star quarterback Tom Brady signed autographs, moving briskly along the lines of fans.