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Al Roker enlisted the help of a very special guest to kick off the Start TODAY’s new 100-mile challenge.
As Al and Stephanie Mansour, TODAY fitness contributor, walked the streets of Manhattan to announce the new challenge on Monday, NFL legend Rob Gronkowski crashed the party.
Donning a blue suit, gray coat and an orange Start TODAY hat, Gronkowski cheered on the group as they rounded the corner of 49th St. and made their way to the TODAY plaza.
After explaining that she’s put together several indoor walking workouts for viewers, Mansour asked Gronkowski if he could demonstrate one of the exercises called the NFL shuffle.
Gronkowski then got in place with Mansour by his side. Bending forward, he began stomping his feet and shaking his hands as he showed off the spirited move. Al joined in and Gronkowski kicked things up a notch, moving even more.
Al was in for quite the surprise when the NFL veteran said, “Go make that tackle!” and lunged at him.
“I just saw my life flash before my eyes,” Al joked.
“Al’s down for the rest of the year,” Gronkowski teased.

Later during the 3rd Hour of TODAY, Sheinelle Jones asked Al if he was expecting the football pro to play-tackle him, he said no.
“He hit me with probably a hundredth of (his strength) and I still thought I was going to die. And I just thought, ‘This is it,'” Al joked.
“At one point I thought he was gonna throw you over the building,” Sheinelle teased.
What is the 100-mile challenge?
To kick off the new year, the Start TODAY team is challenging viewers and readers to walk 100 miles over the course of this month.
Sound daunting? It doesn’t have to be. One hundred miles in one month breaks…
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