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PENN STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 19, 2019

Pat Freiermuth

University Park, Pennsylvania

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Pat.

Q. You told us last week that the top tight end award was something that was important to you. You knew this was coming. You weren't one of the eight semifinalists. Any reaction about that?
PAT FREIERMUTH: Yeah, it's disappointing. I thought I did everything I could this year so far up to this point to prove that I'm one of the best tight ends in the country.

An award doesn't define me who I am, who I am as player. I think I've had a really good season so far. It is what it is, I can't control that now. My focus right now is on Ohio State, anything we can do to beat them, the season moving forward.

Q. You gain motivation from the thought of the award leading up to it, any different kind of motivation moving ahead?
PAT FREIERMUTH: Yeah, I mean, obviously still motivated to win it. Obviously it's not going to be this year, it's going to be next year or the year after that. Yeah, if anything, it's just going to fuel me to play harder and faster, do what I need to do.

Q. James was saying before this game is going to be a heavyweight fight, where one guy throws a big blow, the other counters. Both teams are going to make plays. Does that change or impact your mentality at all?
PAT FREIERMUTH: No. Obviously Ohio State is a great team. They have athletes everywhere. We have athletes everywhere, too. I agree with what coach said. There's going to be some big plays on both sides of the ball made. We have to roll with the punches, hopefully at the end of the day come out on top.

Q. You mentioned your future, that award. You've garnered some interest because you had that interesting path with the five years. Are you planning on staying here? Is that even an option that you could?
PAT FREIERMUTH: I haven't really thought about it, to be honest. I haven't talked about it with my parents or the coaching staff or anything about it. Something I'll actually think about after the reason. Right now I'm focused on Ohio State and the season moving forward.

Q. The Ohio State defense, what has impressed you about them?
PAT FREIERMUTH: There's athletes everywhere on the field, on the defense. Whenever they sub, bring in new personnel, they don't skip a beat. They're fast, explosive. They definitely got some strength everywhere on the field.

Obviously Chase Young, great player. Okudah, their corner, really impressive, too. Their linebackers are, too. We're going to have our hands full. We have athletes and play-makers all over the field. Hopefully we come and do what we need to do.

Q. You shared a recruiting class with Justin Fields for about six months. He's on the opposite sideline. Is it strange to look back, how recruiting works out, college football is such a big spectating thing, game of the year right now he's on the opposite sideline?
PAT FREIERMUTH: Definitely weird. I remember I was with Zach, we picked him up at the airport for the spring game. Obviously he was planning on going to Ohio State, he chose to go to Ohio State or Georgia. He's at Ohio State. Definitely weird playing against him. I think he was going to be part of this team. In the end, he had to do what's best for him. Obviously, I haven't talked to him since, but I support his decision. Obviously he's having a great career so far.

Q. Do you remember a bit of a scramble in the recruiting class from the point where Justin decommitted to the point where Will came to the campus and committed? Was it a gray area wondering who was going to take on that role in the class?
PAT FREIERMUTH: To be honest, I don't really remember. I mean, yeah, I don't really remember. It was a long time ago.

Q. Regardless of whatever you're doing in your future, do you know if you're draft eligible next year? They said on the broadcast a few times, they were under the impression you were. Do you have a baseline understanding of where you are on that?
PAT FREIERMUTH: Yeah, I know I am. Like I said before, I haven't really thought about it at all. Haven't talked to my parents or the coaching staff, anything like that. Again, I'm not focused on that. I do know that I am.

Q. For how well you played against Ohio State last year, how much does that help, early in your career, to have one of those confidence booster games?
PAT FREIERMUTH: Ohio State is probably one of the best programs if not the best in the country. Obviously having my first start in the whiteout, having a good game like I did, definitely helped my confidence.

But that was last year. Hopefully, I mean, I've grown as a player, same as this team. Hopefully I can come out this year and I can play well, the team can play well, see where it ends up.

Q. How much pride do you take in your blocking? I don't know if you can judge this, but do you think that's something that is overlooked when people are judging tight ends at this point?
PAT FREIERMUTH: Yeah, obviously I take great pride in my blocking, like I've said a lot of times. I think I've done a great job this year at the point of attack, moving dudes off the line of scrimmage. I mean, yeah, I do think it's an overlooked part of the tight end. Tight ends that can make plays in the passing game, that's looked at a bunch.

But I do think, I mean, when you look at NFL tight ends, they are asked to block most of the time, too. I think I take great pride in that. Continue to do what I'm going to do in the run game.

Q. Can you speak to what Nick Bowers' increased opportunity has added to the offense, how much pride you had in the late-game drive?
PAT FREIERMUTH: Yeah, it was a special drive to be a part of. It was nine minutes. A lot of split flow. Definitely a lot of big blocks.

I mean, me and Nick take great pride in that. It's also great having two tight ends to rely on in the run game and in the pass game. Nick has done a great job in both so far this season.

It's great to be on the field with one of my good friends, compete with each other in practice every single day to get better. We're not afraid to let each other know if we're lacking one day in practice, lacking on footwork in blocking. It's awesome to be able to see him on the field doing his thing. I'm happy with everything he's done so far. He's going to expect to have a big game just like I am against Ohio State.

Q. Your quarterback said this morning he received death threats. Were you aware when it happened? Were you surprised by it?
PAT FREIERMUTH: Yeah, I was aware when it happened. He talked to me about it for a little bit. I mean, at the end of the day you hate to see it, but it is what it is. Me and him obviously talked about it. Yeah, I don't think it affected him too much. I think he just kind of went off social media and didn't let it affect him.

It's kind of cruel for people to do that when we're trying to put on for the university and make Penn State look good. It's not like we're trying to lose, know what I'm saying? Definitely upset when fans do that. It definitely hurts. I mean, kind of signed up for it, it is what it is.

Q. Sean told us on Saturday that he anticipated it was going to be the best week of preparation for this group. 48 hours or so, are you seeing that executed right now?
PAT FREIERMUTH: Yeah, in the building yesterday, me specifically, I was in there for six hours watching film. I watched three games, four games, specific cut-ups of specific players on the defense. I think when I was in there, there was a lot of dudes watching film. That was even scout team players watching film on their offense or defense to give us the best looks, pick up tendencies as to what they do. Justin Neff, you guys have seen him talk about him a lot, (indiscernible) and Chizmar, they do a great job of watching film on the opposing team's defense, so they can give us the best looks, play who they're representing in practice, how they play their tendencies. It's just awesome to have that buy-in from everyone knowing their role.

I think it is like another game, just we're not going to do different things because it's Ohio State week. We're going to stay consistent and stick to our process. I do think the whole season guys are taking a lot of pride in watching film and implementing that on scout teams in our preparation.

Q. Has an opposing defender jumped off the tape like Chase Young does? What makes him a dynamic threat to deal with?
PAT FREIERMUTH: I probably haven't seen watching film another dude like Chase. Obviously Chase Winovich maybe. Chase Young is a great player. He just jumps out, he's so physical. Physically dominant. He just rushes the passer really well. He stops the run really well. Just an athlete out there. They like to move him around a little bit, kind of put him in mismatches. We just got to be on on our A game, identify him wherever he is on the field just so he can't wreck our game plan.

Q. We asked Coach Franklin about his 'elite 'comment last year. What do you remember about that? How did you take that message last year?
PAT FREIERMUTH: Last year personally I completely agree with him. We weren't up to that game. We were letting things slide. We weren't doing things like how we do things now. I think ever since that comment, whatever it was, when he made it, I think the team and the whole program really took great pride in that. That's when the 1-0 mentality started coming in, buying into it. You could see that in the off-season.

Me personally, I took that comment that he made with great pride and wanted to bring this program back to its elite status.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Pat.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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