Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1476228
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 6 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M ends, told reporters in August that the Steelers are eager to use Freiermuth as a downfield passing target this fall. "We're going to focus on that and try to expand his role," Roberts said. "He has the ability to make catches down the field. … He wants to do that. But the ball has to find him. You can't force it." His predecessor at Penn State, Mike Gesicki, is also anticipating a big year in 2022. Gesicki is entering his fifth season in Miami. His fourth season was a strong one, with the former Nittany Lion setting career-highs with his 73 catches for 780 yards. The Dolphins put a franchise tag on Ge- sicki this past winter, a move that kept him on the 2022 roster for the bargain price of $10.9 million. The team had until July 15 to work out a long-term contract with him, but that deadline passed with no new pact, so now Gesicki will be an unrestricted free agent following the season. "It's a business," he told reporters in July. "The team is going to do what's best for the team, and then you've got to go out and perform and do what you do. "There's not much else to say. I'm not going to complain about it or make a big deal about it, although it seems like the guys who do complain get paid a lot of money, so maybe I should. I'm just going to keep coming to work and keep doing what I'm doing." Gesicki was asked if he thought he should, at some point in his career, be paid like one of the top tight ends in the league. "If I earn it, I think so," he said. "But that's a long way down the line. There's a lot of work that needs to be put in, a lot of plays that need to be made and games to be won before that happens. You get what you deserve in this league, and you've got to go out and earn it." ■ The viral video clip lasted just four seconds but delivered a powerful mes- sage anyway. New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley slid through a hole in the trenches at an August preseason camp practice and burst into the second level of the defense. Cornerback Aaron Robinson, pulling up for a tag-off during the thud pe- riod, patiently awaited light contact and a whistle from the running back, but Barkley had other plans. Lowering his helmet and shoulders straight into Robinson's chest, Barkley popped his teammate, much to the disapproval of other Giant defenders. Just a few plays later at the practice, it set off an intrasquad melee. The blow from Barkley, by most accounts, crossed a line. But it also offered another glimpse into the preseason determination of the former NFL Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowl selection. Sidelined by a season-ending ACL injury just two games into the Giants' 2020 campaign, Barkley has been eager to get back on track in the time since. That wasn't meant to be last year; he played in 13 games but finished with just 162 carries for 593 yards and a pair of touchdowns, plus 41 catches for 263 yards and 2 scores. Now, entering his fifth season in the league, the 2,000-plus all-purpose yards and 15 touchdowns of his rookie season are squarely in the sights of the former Nittany Lion All-American. Barkley just needs to fully move past the injury that derailed his progress in the first place. "Trusting yourself when you're making that cut and how athletic you can be in and out of your cuts — it's something I probably lacked last year," he told reporters. "But that's the way I train, to be strong, to be explosive, and I feel like I'm getting that confidence back." As the start of the 2022 NFL season draws near, Barkley appears to be well on his way toward reaching those goals. He said he feels "a lot better" than he did a year ago, so now the objective is to translate that progress into on-field success. "When you can trust your body, your confidence just grows," Barkley told reporters. "I would say the difference [from college to now] is that I was a way more confident player in college and early in my pro career than I was prior to last year. Now I'm starting to get that swagger back." — Nate Bauer Saquon Barkley Looking To Regain Rookie Form In 2022 Penn Staters On NFL Rosters* TEAM PLAYERS (YEARS PRO) Arizona LB Jesse Luketa (rookie), QB Trace McSorley (4) Atlanta LB Arnold Ebiketie (R), DL Derrick Tangelo (R) Baltimore LB Odafe Oweh (2), P Jordan Stout (R) Buffalo OT Ryan Bates (4), DE DaQuan Jones (9) Carolina DE Yetur Gross-Matos (3), RB John Lovett (R), LB Brandon Smith (R) Chicago S Jaquan Brisker (R) Dallas G Connor McGovern (4), LB Micah Parsons (2) Denver WR K.J. Hamler (3) Detroit FB Jason Cabinda (4), CB Amani Oruwariye (4) Green Bay S Adrian Amos (8), LB Ellis Brooks (R), C Michal Menet (1), OT Rasheed Walker (R) Indianapolis G Will Fries (2) Las Vegas TE Nick Bowers (2) Los Angeles Rams DB Grant Haley (3), WR Allen Robinson (9), S Nick Scott (4) Los Angeles Chargers NT Austin Johnson (7) Miami TE Mike Gesicki (5) Minnesota WR Dan Chisena (3) New Orleans P Blake Gillikin (3) New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley (5), LB Cameron Brown (3) Philadelphia RB Miles Sanders (4) Pittsburgh LB Marcus Allen (4), TE Pat Freiermuth (2) San Francisco CB Tariq Castro-Fields (R), DT Kevin Givens (3), K Robbie Gould (18) Seattle CB John Reid (3), G Eric Wilson (R) Tampa Bay WR Chris Godwin (6), OT Donovan Smith (8) Washington S Troy Apke (5), WR Jahan Dotson (R), DE Shaka Toney (2) * As of Aug. 10