FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots have a rich history of two-way players in Bill Belichick’s coaching tenure, which includes receiver/cornerback Troy Brown, linebacker/tight end Mike Vrabel and receiver/cornerback Julian Edelman.

Rob Gronkowski is pleased to add his name to the list: Tight end/Hail Mary defender.

For those watching the final play of the Patriots’ 36-33 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday, it was hard to miss Gronkowski standing in a familiar place to him, the end zone, but this time as a member of the defense.

As Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson launched a long pass from his own 42-yard line, the 6-foot-6, 265-pound Gronkowski jumped up and had the best chance to bat it down, but it sailed through his hands and was intercepted by teammate Duron Harmon.

“Now I can say, whenever people ask me, that I play both offense and defense,” Gronkowski said with a touch of humor. “I’m a hybrid safety.”

In his typical playful fashion, Gronkowski then started campaigning for more snaps at a different position on defense.

“If they put me at D-end, you’ll see I’m a hybrid D-end,” he cracked. “Maybe one day I’ll switch. I’ve thought about it before.”

Gronkowski had played defensive end growing up and said Thursday that he misses it. Football was simpler back then for him because “you just put your head down and go up the field; you don’t have to run 70 yards down the field every play.”

As for the Hail Mary, this wasn’t the first time Gronkowski has been called upon to defend that type of play with the Patriots. All kidding aside, it’s a role he embraces.

“I enjoy it. It’s fun going in there,” he said. “Always going versus the guys I’m competing against all the time, but it feels like when you go out there, they’re right on your side: ‘Rob, you have to pick this. We need this for the team.’ So it feels good; I like doing it.”

Bill Belichick had explained that in that situation Sunday, the coaches were deciding whether the Texans would run a lateral play or attempt a Hail Mary. They assumed Hail Mary, which is when they summoned Gronkowski for his 65th and final snap of the game (64 on offense, 1 on defense).

Gronkowski’s size makes him most likely to be able to leap up and catch or bat down the Hail Mary. On the Watson pass, it actually sailed through his hands.

Still, he was credited with a pass defended, to go along with his 16 catches, 238 yards and two touchdowns on the season.

“It was a missed interception,” he lamented, “but pass defensed, I agree.”