Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1476228
6 2 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M I t's been a while since a Penn State tight end has made a ma- jor impact in the NFL. Mickey Shuler was a two-time Pro Bowler with the New York Jets, but he's been out of the game for decades — long enough to see his son, Mickey Shuler Jr., get drafted, have his own professional career and retire, too. Kyle Brady and Andrew Quarless played in Super Bowls with New England and Green Bay, respectively, but they too have been out of football for years. Heading into the 2022 season, though, two of the better tight ends in the NFL are former Penn Staters. In Pittsburgh, second-year pro Pat Frei- ermuth has been winning rave reviews from coaches and teammates and is poised for a big season after emerging last year as perhaps the most reliable receiving target for since-departed quarterback Ben Ro- ethlisberger. Freiermuth caught 60 passes for 497 yards and 7 touchdowns in his debut season with the Steelers. His reception and touchdown totals were the most by a rookie tight end in franchise history, breaking marks that had previously been held by two-time Pro Bowler Heath Miller. And yet, those numbers didn't satisfy the 2020 Big Ten Tight End of the Year. He labeled his average of 8.3 yards per catch "atrocious" and vowed to do better this fall. "I showed some good things last year, but I just think taking my game to the next level [is the goal]," Freiermuth told Trib- Live.com. "Coach [Mike] Tomlin chal- lenges us in a way that pushes you to be a complete player." The Steelers didn't attempt to re-sign veteran Eric Ebron this past offseason, making Freiermuth their clear No. 1 at a position that also features fourth-year pro Zach Gentry and rookie Connor Heyward, with the latter having moved to tight end from fullback, where he played at Michi- gan State. Alfredo Roberts, who coaches the tight A second-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers last year, Pat Freiermuth set franchise records for catches (60) and touchdowns (7) by a rookie tight end. PHOTO COURTESY PITTSBURGH STEELERS Former PSU Tight Ends Carry Big Expectations Into Season M AT T H E R B | M AT T. H E R B @ O N 3 . C O M PSU IN THE PROS