UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Coming out of Southern Regional (N.J.) high school it was a question that popped up shortly after Mike Gesicki verbally committed to Penn State in October of 2013.
What kind of blocker would he be?
Penn State tight end Mike Gesicki, a sophomore, continues to emerge as one of the more intriguing players on the offense. At 6-6, 255 pounds, Gesicki, a former three-sport New Jersey standout, said he's now working on becoming an improved blocker too. (Audrey Snyder/Post-Gazette)
Gesicki, who was an oversized receiver and three-sport standout who garnered college interest for football, basketball and volleyball (and even met with the PSU volleyball staff and the basketball staff before opting to stick with just football) needed to learn how to become a better blocker. The then 6-foot-5, 236-pound high schooler knew blocking was part of getting on the field, even if it took some getting used to.
“I think it’s funny too that everybody always says tight end, tight end, tight end,” Gesicki said at his high school in 2013. “I got ranked as the No. 1 tight end in the nation and I’ve never played a snap with my hand in the ground. That’s going to be a little bit different for me.”
Fast forward 18 months and 12 regular season games later and Gesicki, now a rising sophomore, said he focused on continuing to improve his blocking this spring. It was an area coach James Franklin and offensive coordinator John Donovan harped on with all the tight ends this spring and the now 6-foot-6, 255-pound athlete —who added about 22 pounds this offseason — said he’s feeling more comfortable as a blocker. Donovan noted Gesicki’s increased comfort level when we talked part way through spring ball.
“When it comes down to it, it’s all a mindset,” Gesicki said following the team’s spring game. “I just kind of bought into it, like coach Franklin always says you have to buy into things and I bought into it and it just worked out and I feel like I’ve got a little better at blocking and understanding the game more. Overall as a unit we’ve all gotten a little better this offseason.”
Gesicki physically doesn’t look like a player who has yet to be on campus for a year. He’s the one who strength and conditioning coach Dwight Galt referred to as a “freak” this winter, all while unbeknownst to Galt, Gesicki was knocking out extra pull ups behind him.
Last season with Adam Breneman sidelined Penn State needed Gesicki to play right away. He caught 11 passes for 114 yards, made one start and played in 12 games. He said Breneman, who he called one of his closest friends on the team and who along with Christian Hackenberg hosted him on his official visit, helped him from the sidelines. NFL-bound teammate Jesse James and rising fifth-year senior Kyle Carter did the same.
It helps that this spring Gesicki and the rest of the tight ends had a deep rotation of defensive linemen to work against. The same will hold true this summer when defensive ends Garrett Sickels, Carl Nassib and tackles Austin Johnson and Anthony Zettel won’t make life easy for Penn State’s offensive line and tight ends. If they’re going to get better, this is a strong group to practice against.
“We got some of the best d-linemen in the country and that can be one of the best things, that can be one of the hardest things, but I mean it’s definitely making me better, making our tight ends better,” Gesicki said. “Going against competition like that the only choice you have is to get better. Sometimes you might get beat up, you might be going against big guys, strong guys, things like that, going against Carl [Nassib], Austin [Johnson], [Anthony] Zettel and Garrett [Sickels] all those d-linemen. It’s only going to make you better.”
Audrey Snyder: asnyder@post-gazette.com and Twitter: @audsnyder4
First Published: May 1, 2015, 3:08 a.m.