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PENN STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCENovember 14, 2017Mike GesickiUniversity Park, Pennsylvania Q. Just thoughts going into this being Senior Day, last time coming out, going through the whole routine? Talk about the emotions of that and the opponent you guys have to square up against after those emotions go down? MIKE GESICKI: Yeah, this is going to be a game filled with a bunch of emotions, obviously. Last game ever playing in Beaver Stadium, so I can still remember the first time I was here in Beaver Stadium. My junior year of high school, I visited for a white-out game against Ohio State, and I just remember the atmosphere and the fans, and everything about Beaver Stadium. Thinking back over my last four years here, I could have never imagined that the team that I was playing on and the guys that I was playing with could have ever made the memories that we've made here and all the experiences that we've had. It's been unbelievable. It's going to be something that I'm going to cherish for a long time. So I'm excited for Saturday, but obviously don't want it to come too fast because I know once it starts it's going to end pretty quick. As for Nebraska, they're a very talented football team. They're going to come out here and play extremely physical and tough, and they're going to give us some different things on defense. Watched a few games yesterday, so I'm excited for the opportunity to come out here and play them. I've never -- I don't think anybody on this team has played Nebraska, at least in the four years that I've been here. So I get to play a new team and new opponent, it's going to be exciting. Q. How has the program kind of evolved and progressed during your time here, and was there ever a time when you had any misgivings about coming to Penn State? MIKE GESICKI: I mean, I've loved my entire time here in State College and on the football field, off the football field, in the classroom, in this college town, everywhere. It's been unbelievable. It's been a great four years. In terms of how much we've grown, when I first got here Coach Franklin had been here for about five months. There's been some guys on that team that played for a ton of coaches. Finally over the past two years we've had a complete buy-in by all 125 players on the team. We all have the utmost respect for Coach Franklin and trust in him, the scheme, and what he preaches to us day in and day out. So I think that for us to kind of buy into the message that he's coaching us each and every day, and to have all 125 guys into that exact same message, I think that's the most growth that I've seen from our team. There's a lot of continuity from the brotherhood and the family. So definitely in my four years we've grown together closer and have been able to kind of get Penn State back on its feet and rolling again. Q. Could you talk about the pass-catching you do with DaeSean and Juwan? You gays stay after practice and throw. How did that start with you and how has it helped you out the most? MIKE GESICKI: Yeah, so I would say I started staying for practice spring ball of two years ago. Initially it started with the tight ends and then some guys have study hall and obligations to do after practice and that kind of stuff. Then in the off-season me and DaeSean would get on the Jugs and catch 200 balls every single day. So me and him have worked together day in and day out. What time is it now? It's 1:35, he's probably waiting for me at the Jugs machine. We'll catch before the team meeting starts. Then we'll catch again after practice with Juwan. So us three will go out there and get a bunch of extra catches in, and then we'll finish with 20 contested catches where somebody is behind you, hitting you and slapping your hands and distracting you, trying to create a defensive player. Then we'll also do some wet ball drills as well. It's been something that we've been doing since the bye week, trying to do some wet ball drills just to be ready if the weather gets to the point where we need to be prepared for that. I think just staying out there and getting some extra work helps us prepare for Saturday. Q. Do you have any guess as to who is going to take your place and DaeSean with Juwan next year for catching balls? MIKE GESICKI: Juwan always says, man, we've got a few more weeks and then I'm going to be out here throwing the ball to myself. So I'm not sure who Juwan is going to let enter this prestigious club of ours, but whoever it is, they're going to go out there and get a bunch of extra work and prepare and be ready for Saturdays, just like we have been for the past two years. Q. Knowing DaeSean as you do, which is obviously different from the prism of football that we get to know him through. Hard working guy, plays football. What is a good DaeSean story you have off the field about him? MIKE GESICKI: Yeah, I'm going to keep about a hundred of them to myself. I don't know. DaeSean is a very interesting character. I mean, people, there's like 50 kids on our team that would like die to just be friends with DaeSean. DaeSean talks to a very select few people. He's just a very interesting dude. I can still remember the first time I met him when I got here my freshman year. Then just our friendship developing and people were just like how are you and DaeSean friends? You guys are complete polar opposites. But me and DaeSean are best friends. Excited for both of our futures, and really happy for how things have been working out for him this season. Hopefully the success continues for the end of the season this year. Q. Who has recently been allowed into the DaeSean friends club? MIKE GESICKI: I would say the latest addition would be Andre Robinson. Andre has, for the past year and a half, literally -- because I live with Andre. So Andre for the past year was like, dude, I wish DaeSean would talk to me. I'm like, I don't know, man. Maybe go up and say what's up to him? Then Andre actually went through my phone. Got DaeSean's number when I wasn't looking. Texted him, and DaeSean was like, Who is this? And he's like, Oh, yeah, it's Andre. So then Andre would text him like a hundred times a day, really just annoy him to be his friend. Now he knows that Andre's a funny dude and likes hanging out with him. So I would say Andre is the new addition. Q. Two things, easy one first. You were selected a Mackey semifinalist. What does that mean to you? MIKE GESICKI: I mean, I think one of eight people on the list, so definitely honored to be in the company of those players and all that kind of stuff. It was funny. I had no idea that I was even mentioned in it or whatever. AB texted me this morning, he's like, welcome to the club, buddy. I'm like, what club? He's like the Mackey club. I said don't ever text me and say that again. But obviously, it's an honor and something I've worked for and all that kind of stuff. Wouldn't be there without my teammates, my coached. I'm really appreciative of all that stuff. But I'm a big believer in with team success comes individual recognition, so I'm excited for these last few opportunities. We take care of business on Saturdays and all that some kind of stuff, everything else will take care of itself. Q. You hear from Adam a lot? MIKE GESICKI: Yeah, all the time. Q. The other thing on blocking. This one's not quite so easy. Matt Millen got into you pretty good on the broadcast. Were you aware of that? And secondly, where are you in your blocking development? How much better do you realize you'll probably have to get for the next level? MIKE GESICKI: I think I'm going to have to continue to improve in my blocking abilities. I think I'm more than willing to block. I think I've taken a bunch of steps forward in my blocking abilities. Something I honestly take pride in. So I'm going to own everything on film. Obviously there are plays every single game that I'd like back. But as far as a commentator ripping into me, it's going to take a lot more than a commentator ripping into me to shut me down. I've received many other hurtful and disrespectful comments and all that kind of stuff, so honestly, the only critique that I'm worried about is coming from Coach Rahne. So, if Coach Rahne wants to critique me and coach me up like he does each and every week, that's what I'm excited about. Just ready to get back to work today. Q. Got a couple for you. First, what do you remember about Brandon Smith, the tight end? MIKE GESICKI: I do remember B. Smith in the tight end meeting rooms and all that kind of stuff. I think he was on the scout team back then, so I didn't really have too many memories of him as a tight end. It was only a few weeks that he was doing that until he switched over to linebacker. But obviously, same old dude as he is as a linebacker, tough, physical, love to hit people, that kind of stuff. Q. Do you remember the first time you met Marcus Allen? MIKE GESICKI: Yes. First time I met Marcus was the first day we got here. I remember everybody going to the spring game, all my class went to the spring game. I wasn't able to make it because I had a volleyball tournament that weekend, so I wasn't able to make it to the spring game and be with all the guys and that kind of stuff. So first time I met Marcus was when we got up here the first day, freshman year in June. Same dude. He's always joking around, all that kind of stuff. Q. You spoke about your relationship with DaeSean Hamilton earlier. Can you talk about what it's like with him being the All-time receiving record holder. And you telling have Jesse James, what's that like having your best friend be a record holder and you're also one? MIKE GESICKI: Yeah, it's been awesome. I think also it's not happening by coincidence. Me and DaeSean put a lot of work in in the off-season, after practice, before practice, during practice, obviously. So we've put a ton of work and time and dedication into getting to where we are today. But also none of that is possible without any of our coaches or teammates or anything like that. But for me and him to be as close as we are, and to, you know, have the records, and all that, the accolades and all that stuff that comes along with it, it's great. I remember when I had broken the record for most catches or whatever, and DaeSean did it like two weeks later and everybody's like blowing up. And I was like joking around with him, and I was like, How come I didn't get any love for breaking the record for most catches by a tight end? He's like, Mike, you're a tight end. Nobody cares about that. Just keep blocking, doing your job, whatever. Obviously, we joke around all the time. We have a great relationship. I'm happy for him and the success he's had. Q. You told us last year that when you first met Joe Moorhead, he didn't know where you were. Have you rehashed that story? Have you brought that up to him recently? MIKE GESICKI: I was joking around with him a few weeks ago about how I was joking around with him about how when he first got the job, I walked in and I was talking to Tommy, and I was like who is who is the mean guy, and all that stuff. And he was cracking up on the practice field when I was telling him, and he came back at me, and I was like, I was looking at the film, and I was looking for a tight end that could catch the ball and this and that. Me and him have gone back and forth. Me and Coach Moorhead have a great relationship. And I think that he is a huge reason, you know, to the success that I've had the past two seasons. You know, both in the run game and in the pass game, everything that the scheme that he brought. It's kind of molded me into the player that I am and forever grateful for having him come here and be the offensive coordinator. Q. To follow that up, your first impression of Coach Franklin, because obviously you're an O'Brien guy? What did you remember? Did he call you first, I'm guessing? MIKE GESICKI: Yeah, so I got an offer from Vanderbilt. Didn't -- I didn't speak Coach Franklin when I got the offer from there. It was actually Coach Donovan that recruited me to Vanderbilt. Then when they got the head coaching job here, Coach Franklin called me, I think it was whenever, like the first day that he was able to contact recruits and all that kind of stuff and we talked on the phone for probably about 20, 30 minutes or something, stuff like that. Just able to kind of discuss the basics and how much he was excited about me coming to Penn State and all that stuff. And he came to my basketball game a few weeks later, came to my house for dinner and all that kind of stuff. So, you know, Coach Franklin is a great coach. He's a great leader and teacher of younger men and molding them into men when they leave here in four years. He's done a great job just helping some of the guys when they get here they're immature and still trying to find who they are and four years later he plays a huge role into getting them where they are four years later, five years later when they graduate. He's played a huge role in me becoming who I am ultimately the best couple years. So I'm grateful to play for him. Q. I'm curious how in tune you are with the history of the Penn State tight end? Who are the guys that you've looked up to and even met? MIKE GESICKI: Obviously, when you talk about some of the better tight ends in Penn State's history, you're talking about Kyle Brady. Even, you know, Jesse James, the guy who played here when I was a freshman, Quarless, there have been some talented guys that have come through Penn State. And I've had the honor of playing with Jesse and learning from Jesse and using him as a role model in my time here at Penn State, still talk to him a lot. Met Kyle Brady over the summertime, and had an opportunity to talk to him for 15, 20 minutes and just kind of get some advice from him, some feedback. Just ultimately it's very interesting to kind of look back and see the names that have come through Penn State in terms of tight ends. Be sitting here, and also, you know, maybe be somebody in the future that a future Penn State tight end wants to look up to. Q. Early in your career, you could have packed it in, but you didn't? MIKE GESICKI: Right. Q. Why do you think you didn't, and how much pride in that fact that you take out of the fact that you're here and where you are today? MIKE GESICKI: Yeah, I think that coming here, I had a ton of expectations for myself, and then there's obviously a bunch of outside expectations that I was looking to live up tole. Ultimately my first year I did my job. I was pretty much a wide receiver. I went in on passing downs and caught like 10 or 11 balls. I was there for my freshman year. Then my sophomore year, obviously, everybody's heard the story a hundred thousand times. Didn't go the way I wanted it to, all that kind of stuff. Ultimately like you said I could have packed it in. But that's not who I am. I'm a competitor. I had goals and aspirations. Going into that spring ball, I would write in my notebook every day. First thing I'd write is I'm the best tight end, every single day. I could have, if anybody ever read that, they would have laughed at me at that point in my life. Just like because they're like you're not even close to that. But I knew what I was capable of. That's something that I'm very proud of to kind of hold with me, and grow and develop and become the player I am. I. Owe a lot of credit to my coaches, my teammates, and my family and friends and all that stuff for sticking with me and fighting out the other side. And being able to look back at my Penn State career and being proud of everything I'm going through. Q. Your first two years here, how did Christian form you and what was his impact? MIKE GESICKI: Obviously, he was just texting me. He called me last night. I talked to him for a little bit. He actually just texted me when I was coming in here. Obviously we've formed an unbelievable friendship with him. Being a roommate with him for two years or a year and a half when I first got here. So I've obviously learned a ton from him. We always talk about DaeSean. DaeSean always makes a joke, yeah, you and hack were the duo that never happened here at Penn State. That's like his favorite joke. So me and Hack, you know, obviously on the field, the product obviously wasn't what we had hoped it would have been. It had nothing to do with him, obviously. But just him helping mold me into the player I am today, not only the player on the field, but the guy in the film room. He's kind of shown me the ways of understanding defenses and the Xs and Os of football and all that kind of stuff. Obviously, still keeps in contact with me. He's watching the games and telling me some things to keep in mind, and to maybe improve on or something that he liked or anything like that. So he's been a huge supporter of mine as I have been a huge supporter of his as well. Q. What kind of teammate is Tommy Stevens, and what kind of impact does he have on the offense when he's able to see some playing time? MIKE GESICKI: Tommy's a man. You know, obviously being a back-up quarterback it's a tough role to handle, especially when you're as talented as Tommy is. But I think that he's handled that situation extremely well. Comes to practice every single day. You would think he's the Heisman Trophy winner with the kind of energy that he has and the confidence that comes from him and all that kind of stuff. So Tommy is an unbelievable teammate. Every time he comes on the field, especially in practice, he'll be like, all right, man. Get out. It's my time to shine. Get out. Because once he comes in, I come out. If there's anybody on the team that I'd be happy with having two of my touchdown catches, it would be Tommy. So Tommy has done a great job going in and being a running back, being a quarterback, a receiver, a tight end, an All-American decoy, whatever you want to call him, he's done a phenomenal job. I think whenever his time comes during his career as a college football player, I'm going to be his number one fan for the future. Q. (Inaudible) how did he make it into the friend club? MIKE GESICKI: I honestly started this whole be friends with DaeSean thing. Once I started being friends with him, then Andre wanted to jump in. And Tommy would be like, Yo, how come Ham doesn't talk to me? Everybody comes to me like I'm his secondary or something. But, yeah, Tommy became friends with him. Every Wednesday it's me, Tommy, and DaeSean, we go to my girlfriend's house, and she cooks us dinner every Wednesday night. So that was kind of the crew that started at the beginning of the year. Since then, Tommy and DaeSean have increased their friendship week in and week out. It's very funny to me that everybody takes so much pride in being friends with DaeSean. But, yeah. Q. Sounds like DaeSean's a hard one to be a friend with. So I'll take that note today. I wanted to ask you earlier on you were mentioning that you don't let criticism take you out of the game. That was a message from Coach Franklin after the Michigan State game to tell everyone to get back to internally focusing on what you guys do in the locker room and in practice. So did you have a hand in helping the team kind of learn to not listen to the outside noise, especially with you shutting down social media during the season? MIKE GESICKI: Me and Coach Franklin have had conversations about adversity and criticism and all that stuff. Because when you think about it, it was last year, I think, the Minnesota game, the starting lineup comes up, and it's head coach James Franklin. You could either hear crickets or boos coming from the stands. Now you look at it this time this year, and everybody loves him and all that kind of stuff. So me and him kind of talk about the adversity that we've gone through and the criticism that we've faced with each other. So that's something that me and him share. Then obviously as a team, we had kind of a two-week, rough patch that we had to fight through. But every great team has to deal with adversity. That was our time. Something we had to learn from and be able to bounce back from, which we were able to do last week. And to be able to finish this season off strong and still make the most out of this year, which I think that we're doing to the best of our abilities. I think we have so much -- so many memories of this team and over the past four years that will obviously go on with us forever. But ultimately this season I've got a few more games left, and we decided to finish it out strong. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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