Rob Gronkowski defends Summer of Gronk: 'What have I really done besides dance?'

New England Patriots star tight end Rob Gronkowski is seemingly everywhere after capturing his first Super Bowl in February.

The Summer of Gronk is in full swing, with Gronkowski making appearances at minor-league hockey games, birthday parties in Las Vegas, dancing up a storm with 50 Cent, and twerking at the Ultra Music Festival among some of his more celebrated activities.

Not everyone's feeling the unanimous All-Pro's tight end off-field celebrity, and the Patriots star defended his decision to keep the good times rolling this summer.

"There's definitely a time to party and a time to focus on work, but you need to let loose a little bit so that you can go back on Monday feeling refreshed and motivated to work hard again," Gronkowski said to DuJour Magazine in a longform profile titled "It's Great To Be Gronk." "People act like dancing is breaking the law and partying is a crime. Everyone thinks I'm in trouble 24/7, but what have I really done besides dance?"

It's certainly a fair point. While former Patriots star tight end Aaron Hernandez was found guilty of first-degree murder in April, and the league underwent a nightmare season that saw numerous domestic violence incidents, Gronkowski's brand of fun is utterly harmless.

Gronkowski was selected in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft and says falling past the first round may have been the best thing for his career.

"Some players peak at 20-years-old, so if you pick them in the top 10 just because they dominate in college, it doesn't mean that they’re going to keep on improving. The way things ended up for me. ... I feel like it just happened for a reason."

The 26-year-old is well on his way to becoming the best tight end in the history of the NFL and is the fulcrum of a vaunted Patriots' passing attack. Who wouldn't dance away the summer if they were in his shoes?