Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1276571
W hile Pat Freiermuth was home in Massachusetts this past spring, his alarm went o? every morning at 7:45. Penn State's junior tight end would get some co?ee, eat break- fast, then meet with his trainer outside to li@ weights. Following the workout, he would participate in meetings, grab lunch, then would run routes and do =eldwork with his high school quarterback at Brooks Academy, Seamus Lambert. Although Penn State's starting signal-caller, Sean Cli?ord, was back at his home 900 miles away in Cincinnati, the 5-foot-11, 185- pound Lambert was more than just a serviceable replacement. "He's the starting quarterback at Trinity College," Freiermuth said. "He was the [NESCAC Co-Rookie of the Year] there, so he's a great quarterback." Determined to live up to Tyler Bowen's assertion that he's capable of becoming "the best all-around tight end in the country," Freier- muth has been adhering to a plan. Maintaining and improving on as much of his game as possible during an extended hiatus from organ- ized football due to the coronavirus pandemic, Freiermuth said that his aspirations fall in line with Bowen's assessment. "I completely agree with what he said. I mean, we've been talking about that since a@er my freshman year," Freiermuth said. "My goal is to be considered the best tight end in the country. As you guys all know, my goal is to win the Mackey [Award] and become an All- American, and that hasn't stopped yet." Freiermuth took continual steps toward those goals in his =rst two years at Penn State. He =nished with 26 catches for 368 yards and eight touchdown receptions as a true freshman and claimed honor- able mention All-Big Ten accolades from both the conference coaches and media, as well as Freshman All-America honors from multiple media outlets. But even though he made an immediate im- pact with the Nittany Lions, he knew he could do better, citing his route running as a glaring weakness. "Coming in, I was awful. I mean, I was godawful. Looking back on the =lm from by freshman year, I still don't know how I played," PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT T I G H T E N D S Pat Freiermuth is determined to continue his upward path with the Nittany Lions | IN THE ZONE With his 15 touchdown catches, Freiermuth has already tied the school record for scoring receptions by a tight end. Photo by Steve Manuel