Steelers' Pat Freiermuth Happy To Have Some Legendary Tight Ends Mentor Him

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Pennsylvania State University (commonly called Penn State), have a lot in common. That includes a tradition of excellence, as well as a history of fielding outstanding tight ends. The Steelers have certainly reaped the rewards of having a football powerhouse like Penn State not far away. They currently have multiple Nittany Lions on their roster including Allen Robinson, Joey Porter Jr., and Pat Freiermuth. 

Freiermuth is currently the Steelers' starting tight end and he is proud of his time at Penn State. He knows that he wouldn't have gotten there without the help of other outstanding tight ends in the league and that includes a fellow Lion and former Steeler, Jesse James. 

James and Freiermuth missed each other in Pittsburgh by a couple of years, but that hasn't stopped them from talking. Freiermuth recently shared that James, as well as Eric Ebron, another former Steelers tight end, have served as powerful mentors in his life. On top of being fortunate enough to have them in his corner, Freiermuth also got to learn from some next-level playmakers as well. 

Steelers' Pat Freiermuth Opens Up About His Mentors

Recently, Freiermuth appeared on the podcast of two former Penn State alums and football players. The show, called The Pocket, is co-hosted by quarterback, Christian Hackenberg and linebacker, Brandon Bell. While Hackenberg and Bell both played before Freiermuth's time, the community is a tight one and players often keep in touch. 

They did, however, cross paths with James and asked Freiermuth if he had much interaction with James, who is famous because of his controversial catch versus the New England Patriots in 2017.

"Jesse's great man, we talk a bunch. I go for rehab when I'm in Pittsburgh to the same guy he used and he's close with Ty Howle and I'm close with Ty, so kind of a mutual connection," shared Freiermuth.

He went on to share that he was lucky enough to make some even bigger mentors when he attended "Tight End University" before the 2023 season. The camp was developed by three-time Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen. Olsen is helped by some living legends including Travis Kelce and George Kittle. 

"I went to Tight End U and I talked to certain guys, like Kittle and Kelce, and you know, they're great, but they're at the top of their game now where they operate at a different level. So for me, I'm talking to guys like Mike [Gesicki] and Jesse. [Eric] Ebron helped me when I got into Pittsburgh, he's a great guy. I talked to [Brock] Bowers a bunch, Noah Fant, guys like that I've gained a relationship with throughout my career. I kind of used their experiences from watching or talking to them and implementing what they've learned into my game, and trying to take my game to the next level."

The camp allows all of these players at different levels of their career, to learn and collaborate. It includes players both past and present, and even some legends like Rob Gronkowski. In 2023, they recruited a few NFL quarterbacks to throw them the ball, including Josh Allen and Trey Lance. 

All of Freiermuth's networking might be paying off. He was hampered by a hamstring injury last season, terrible play-calling from former Offensive Coordinator, Matt Canada, and some of the worst quarterback play in the league from Kenny Pickett. On top of all of that for much of the season, it felt like the Steelers had abandoned the tight end position with a few exceptions. Despite that, when Freiermuth was on the field, we saw improvements in his efficiency when targeted and in his blocking. 

Freiermuth told Hackenberg and Bell he is back to working out after a postseason break, and is getting ready for what the new season will bring. He is excited to see the changes new Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith will bring to the table. Fans are just hoping to be able to yell 'MUUUUTTTTHHHH more. 

What do you think about the tight ends the Steelers have drafted over the years? Where does Freiermuth fit in with the group? Click to comment below.

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