FORT MYERS, Fla. – When a four-time Super Bowl Champion speaks, you listen.

That's exactly what a handful of Florida Gulf Coast men's basketball players did on Tuesday afternoon when former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski talked to them about leadership and work ethic.

"It was incredibly educational and informative," head coach Pat Chambers said. "To talk with an 18- to 23-year-old, and give them a playbook on how to be great holistically – not just as a player, but as a great man, a great leader, a great ambassador and representative for what he stands for – was tremendous. I'm very grateful for him taking the time to pour into several players as they step into leadership roles in our program."

During their time with Gronkowski, the four-time first team All-Pro discussed the details of work ethic and leadership. He emphasized the importance of showing up every day, putting in hard work and maintaining a positive attitude no matter your circumstances. 

Darren Williams is primed for increased opportunity in the 2026-27 as the Eagles' leading returner in nearly every stat category, including averaging 35.7% on 50 made 3-pointers during the 2025-26 season. To him, Gronkowski expressed the balance between having fun and holding teammates accountable while setting pride and ego aside.

"It's important to have those moments of letting loose and having fun that gives you and your teammates the urge to get back to work, and to have fun doing it as well," Williams said. "It's always important to remember what got you to this point in life and to keep the main thing the main thing."

After his sophomore season ended prematurely, Tristen Guillouette found himself in a position that many athletes do, including Gronkowski. Guillouette gleaned insight into how Gronkowski bounced back from injuries and continued leading and earning respect from his teammates even when he wasn't on the court.

"I learned about a professional player's mindset during adversity," Guillouette said. "It applies to what I'm going through as I come back from a season ending injury. It gave me motivation to see through the other side of the adversity."

The lessons that Williams, Guillouette and Chambers took from Gronkowski will carry into the upcoming campaign for FGCU basketball. Eagles fans can see that on display by securing season tickets for FGCU men's and women's basketball, which are on sale now. 

For more information on FGCU men's basketball, follow @FGCU_MBB on Instagram, X (Twitter) and Facebook, and visit fgcuathletics.com.