Madden NFL 17: Ron Gronkowski graces cover

It’s been quite a week for the Gronk. After GQ revealed Rob Gronkowski as its latest cover star, the football player became the first tight end and the first New England Patriots player to land the cover of a Madden NFL video game.

ESPN’s SportsCenter revealed Madden NFL 17 Thursday night, and Gronkowski called it a “dream come true.”

“My rookie year [in 2010], it was just an honor to be in the game, just using yourself as a player, throwing yourself the ball every single time you can at home, just playing the game,” he said. “Now it’s a dream come true, going into my seventh season and being on the cover.”

The athlete also noted how close he was to landing last year’s Madden cover before it went to New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. “When I found out that I was truly going to be on the cover, it was a great feeling.”

Gronk hit up Jimmy Kimmel Live on Thursday to talk up the victory and the Madden Curse, a.k.a. the Madden Cover Jinx. (There’s a fear that the player who lands the video game cover is fated to suffer an injury or poor performance, but Gronkowski thinks that’s been broken.)

“I feel like the curse was way back in the days. It’s the present now, and it’s just good stuff now,” he said. That said, he does believe in ghosts sometimes. “When you’re home alone, it gets scary. I don’t like to be home alone.”

Watch the interview below.