FOXBORO — Kevin Byard remembers the game well. It was the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans in the 2017 AFC Divisional game at Gillette Stadium. Byard, then just a second-year player in a upstart Tennessee secondary, can recall lining up against Rob Gronkowski all night long.

"I remember every time Tom Brady saw me lined up against him, he threw the ball at him," he told Patriots On SI this week ahead of Gronkowski's induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame Saturday afternoon. "I want to say he probably completed every single pass, even a touchdown. He's just a big dude, he's hard to cover."

Gronkowski, the Patriots' all-time leading in postseason touchdowns with 12, finished that game with six receptions for 81 yards and that touchdown in a 35-14 drubbing That game still sticks with Byard, now a Patriots captain.

"He would literally just make a play, try to stiff arm you into the dirt and then he'll get back up and run back to the huddle," Byard said. "He just went about his business."

In general, it's hard not to love Gronk. The best tight end in franchise history, the one that made football fun to play and nearly impossible for any defenders in his area, is getting his red jacket-like flowers. He becomes the 38th member of the Patriots Hall of Fame and the third member of the team's Super Bowl LIII-winning squad to earn his place in New England immortality.

It's clear he made his mark in the region and the region made a mark on him.

"It means everything about my NFL career with the Patriots, just to be able to, you know, be recognized with the greats that were all before me, that’s what it’s all about," Gronkowski said.

Drake Maye Was A Gronk Fan Growing Up

It wasn't just the younger generation of Patriots fans that he impacted with his play. Even a young Drake Maye in North Carolina was a fan of the four-time Super Bowl champion — even having him on his fantasy football teams.

"I had a Gronk T-shirt jersey growing up, I remember I was a big T-shirt jersey guy in the NFL, wore it to school," Maye said. "So, I'm a big fan of his game. You see a lot of his film come up in the quarterback room of his ability to break tackles, make catches. ... That's a special player that I've gotten to know with a special personality. Just like I said, another appreciation for, if not the best, one of the best to ever play."

Gronkowski's highlights have been shown in film meetings this year. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has made it a point to show off the impressive catches from Gronkowski, like his one-handed one against the Broncos in 2014 and another spear against the Bills three years later.

"He was a great teammate," McDaniels said. "He was unbeliavable to coach, he took coaching very well. He was very smart. He was prepared and Rob always seemed to play his best in the biggest games.

"There's not too many people like him."

Opposing Coaches Struggled To Stop Him

McDaniels got to coach him for years. Mike Smith, the Patriots outside linebackers coach, had to gameplan against him. With the Jets from 2010 to 2012 and then again with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2018, Smith knows all too well what Gronkowski brought to the field.

"You can't put a linebacker on him because he's gonna outrun him. A safety, he's gonna big-ball him ... and he'll block your ass off," Smith said.

"Clearly one of the best tight ends that's ever played this game and I love his personality."

In the 2018 AFC title game in Kansas City, Smith groaned remembered that game — where Gronkowski finished with six catches for 79 yards, including several key first down pickups late, as well as plenty of chip blocks at the line of scrimmage. The Patriots would go onto win that game in overtime (and the Super Bowl two weeks later), concluding Gronkowski's career in New England.

"They're not gonna waste Gronk like that," he remembered. "He chipped both edges the entire game and did not even give them an opportunity to direct that game."

Byard said it perfectly in the locker room. Gronkowski's the most dominant tight end to ever play the game, especially after the catch.

"He was incredible," Byard said.