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The story of Madden San Miguel caught the attention of social media over the weekend as the young football player known as "Baby Gronk" and his dad were interviewed in The Athletic.
Jake San Miguel, the 10-year-old boy’s father, has helped his son gain more than 300,000 followers on social media. The boy’s Instagram is filled with pictures of himself in several different uniforms as well as photos with Aaron Judge, Mark Wahlberg and LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne. San Miguel told the publication he does all the marketing for his son and does his best to balance out reality with the internet.
"I’ve had a plan for my son since before he was born," he told The Athletic. "It’s playing out now."
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A football against a pylon before the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on Sept. 10, 2017, in Houston, Texas. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
San Miguel added that his son is the "real deal" and that he "puts in a lot of work."
"It’s not just for content," he told The Athletic. "We put five or six days a week of training. He diets, he eats clean foods, salmon and brown rice. He is in a routine. He’s a real athlete. He’s not a normal kid. Normal kids are emotional. They put their head down when they make mistakes, talk back to the coaches, they make noises, but he doesn’t do that. He has been trained and programmed since he was 6 years old."
But the plan didn’t sit well with everyone in the sports world. The emphasis of putting young athletes into one sport for the rest of their young career is one of the hotly debated subjects in youth sports.
J.J. Watt of the Arizona Cardinals walks off the field after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on Jan. 8, 2023, in Santa Clara, California. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Former NFL star J.J. Watt believes kids should be able to play multiple sports.
"I’ve always said… Kids should play multiple sports and kids should be allowed to be kids," he tweeted Friday.
"I’m not against advanced leagues, better competition, etc. But no kid should be playing one sport all year & no kid should be training ‘like a pro’ until at least HS. They’re kids."
Paige Spiranac, a former collegiate golfer who is among the top influencers in her sport, former NFL offensive lineman Taylor Lewan and ESPN broadcaster Ashley Brewer also shared their DMs of the "Baby Gronk" account trying to get in touch for collaborations.
Paige Spiranac attends ACM Lifting Lives Topgolf Tee-Off & Rock On, March 6, 2022, in Las Vegas. (David Becker/Getty Images for ACM)
San Miguel told The Athletic his son is making about $100,000 a year and is putting it away so he can have a future even if he doesn’t turn pro.
Others reacted as well.
"I don’t think my son is a God or better than all these other kids out there. His goal is to go to the NFL. But the NFL is rare. It’s hard to make. So my goal is to build him a platform and a following where he is making money now and it’s going into a savings account," he said.
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"Just keep stacking up, being a part of companies, this and that. By the time he’s a senior in high school, he’s a millionaire and above and he’s well taken care of. That way he can live a good life without struggle or worry. It’s the insurance behind sports. You don’t have to go pro anymore. Like Livvy Dunne, she’s set for life already because of the internet."
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