Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/115002
WELCOME BACK Gilliam caught seven passes for 65 yards after returning to action last season following a knee injury. John Beale of the season and was having to diet just to stay at that weight. The 6foot-6 Gilliam knew that if he got any heavier, he would be in danger of outgrowing the position. ���I was eating a lot of grilled chicken salads. I was not eating like an athlete should,��� said Gilliam, who finished the season with seven catches for 65 yards. ���I figured if I was unleashed, I could easily gain the weight. Which I did. I started gaining it after the season ended.��� Penn State���s offense has become much more tight end-oriented since O���Brien���s arrival, and the Nittany Lions are deep at the position this fall. Kyle Carter, Jesse James and Matt Lehman all are returning after combining to make 75 catches for 1,025 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, and they will be joined by four-star freshman prospect Adam Breneman, who enrolled at Penn State in January. The team is less well off at offensive tackle. One of last season���s two regular starters ��� right tackle Mike Farrell ��� graduated following the 2012 season, creating a battle between senior reserves Adam Gress and Eric Shrive for the starting spot. Gilliam, who has traded his No. 89 jersey for No. 77, said he���s looking to put himself in the middle of that competition. He said that because he was deeply involved in the team���s blocking schemes as a tight end, he has been able to hit the ground running. ���On most of this stuff, I knew what the tackle was doing, so it���s been pretty easy to pick it up,��� he said. ���Once we get into the spring and get some repetitions in, it���ll be easier. But on paper, it���s been going pretty well.��� He has an extra season in which to refine his game, with the NCAA having recently approved his petition for a sixth year of eligibility. Gilliam, who missed the entire 2011 season while recovering from his knee injury, will be in uniform for the Nittany Lions through the 2014 season, giving him ample opportunity to get acclimated to the position. So far, he���s thrilled with how the move has gone. He���s up to 300 pounds but has not lost any speed. In fact, he���s gotten faster. ���My body is meant, I think, to weigh more,��� he said. ���I feel a lot better. I have more energy because I can eat more. I can jump farther, I can jump higher. I outperformed all my tight end [measurables] at my tackle weight. And the last time they tested me [as a tight end], I was at 262. So it���s almost 40 pounds more.��� The next step is to see where he fits into the mix at his new position. Despite his lack of experience, he���s got big ambitions. ���I wasn���t going to switch positions to back someone up,��� Gilliam said, ���so my goal is to get to a starting spot, whether it takes a few weeks or a few months. But regardless, I want to help the team, whether it���s backing up somebody or being the man up front.���