Madden San Miguel, better known as “Baby Gronk,” had something to get off his chest this week.
Baby Gronk — nicknamed after retired NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski — has been a viral sensation online for quite some time.
His father stated the NFL is the ultimate goal for Baby Gronk, but that creating a brand will set him up to do anything he wants.
Those days appear to be over.
This week, the 5-foot-2 Frisco, Texas native shocked his legion of followers on Monday with an unexpected announcement.
“I have been forced to play football. I have recently lost love for the game. I will be stepping away,” San Miguel wrote.
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He also released a video as well stating he was retiring from football:
Many people have questioned the intentions of Baby Gronk’s father who comes off as very controlling and trying to live through his child.
Former All-Pro NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski made his disapproval of “Baby Gronk” known during an appearance on a podcast last year where he expressed discomfort with the social media promotion of 10-year-old Madden San Miguel.
Gronkowski stated one of his brothers had asked him about the child and he shared that the Gronkowski family had been continually pestered by the child’s father, Juan San Miguel.
“My brother told me — I was like ‘Yo, did you see Baby Gronk yet?’ He goes, ‘Did I see him? His dad f–kin’ hit me up 500 times already,'” Gronkowski said. “He goes ‘Don’t do anything with him. The dad is so annoying.’ … It’s to the point where it’s awkward. It’s too far.”
The promotion of San Miguel by his father has raised major concerns about profiting from children for the sake of Internet fame in combination with tales of overzealous “Stage Parents.”
Hopefully, the kid can find his true passion in life.
