Joe Judge's introductory press conference with the Giants showed fans exactly what kind of head coach he's going to be: stern, disciplined, no nonsense.
But former Patriots Rob Gronkowski is here to say that isn't the only side of Judge. In fact, he's pretty funny.
Gronkowski spent seven seasons with Judge on the Patriots' coaching staff when he joined them in 2012 following his time at Alabama. And the former Pro Bowl tight end, who called it quits after the 2018 season, had an interesting way to describe Judge.
"He's out of control in all ways," Gronkowski told The Post while sitting on a Super Bowl media panel for "NFL on Fox. "He's fun to be around, he has a lot of great jokes and they're funny. He had me laughing many times in meetings."
That's definitely not what was portrayed when Judge spoke earlier this month, when he basically laid down the law he was going to put in place for Big Blue. He was firm in his want to emphasize fundamentals, and made sure to note that he expected everyone to buy in to the culture he's bringing to New York with him.
But coaches don't always show their true personalities at the podium. And Gronk says Judge is "out of control" in the most sincere way possible.
He believes he'll be great for the Giants.
"He's out of control and I love it," Gronkowski said. "He's a great coach for the Giants' organization. He has so much passion for the game, and that's what you need if you want to be a coach. You have to love the game of football to the max and that's what he does. He knows the game of football inside and out."
One of the first things learned about Judge when the Giants made the surprising hire was how much he paid attention to detail. It's a character trait Bill Belichick and Nick Saban, two coaches he studied under, have mastered.
Working as a special teams coordinator, Judge had to deal with the entire Patriots roster, something Belichick believed was a crucial advantage for him in the interview process. Gronk saw first-hand how diligent Judge was with his work, and how he simply knew everything from each play off the top of his head.
"Yeah, he was the special teams coach but let me tell you: He knew the special teams inside and out," Gronkowski said. "He knew where every single player needed to be on every single play. It was unbelievable. And he knew it like that [snaps fingers]. He knew it in a split second, so it wasn't like he had to think of where this player needed to be. You just knew he's made for the game of football."
Another glowing endorsement from someone that has worked closely with Judge.
