Mike Gesicki – October 3, 2022
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Monday, October 3, 2022
TE Mike Gesicki
(How have the last few days been for you? Have you been able to get away from the QB Tua Tagovailoa stuff and relax? Or have you been around it on social media?) – “No, for me, I was away from it. Obviously, I was making sure that he was alright and all that kind of stuff, but I’ve been away from it. It’s been good.”
(What have your conversations with him been like? I know that each player has concern over him and has checked in on him, but what does that been like for you with QB Tua Tagovailoa the last few days?) – “Just like if anybody else went down like that, obviously it was a scary situation, seeing that on Thursday. But just talking with him, making sure he’s good and happy he’s alright.”
(What was your reaction when it initially happened because that’s your quarterback?) – “Yes, like I said, (it was a) scary situation. It’s not something you want to see.”
(Can you talk a little bit about with QB Teddy Bridgewater stepping in? He’s a veteran in this league. Just what you’ve seen with him and connecting with him?) – “Yes, I like Teddy (Bridgewater) a lot, man. He’s an experienced guy and has been at a couple of different stops throughout this league. To just kind of be thrown in there is something that I think his career has kind of prepared him for. He’s got a lot of experience, and I trust him back there a lot. I think he’s got everything it takes to continue to keep this thing rolling for us.”
(The events of last week have kind of sparked a look into the concussion protocols. Things are already maybe going to be changed. What are your thoughts on how the league handles concussions? And are you comfortable with what happened last week?) – “I don’t really know all the details of how they handle it specifically, so I can’t really talk about that, but I do feel comfortable with the league and what they do and how they handle things. Obviously, safety and player safety should be No. 1, and I think that, for the most part, they handle that.”
(What’s the difference in catching QB Tua Tagovailoa’s ball versus QB Teddy Bridgewater’s ball?) – “I’ve played with Ryan Tannehill, Brock Osweiler, Josh Rosen, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jacoby (Brissett), Tua (Tagovailoa), add Teddy (Bridgewater) to the list. Skylar (Thompson) in the preseason, David Fales in the preseason my rookie year. I mean, I’ve caught Reid Sinnett. I’ve caught footballs from anybody and everybody. So just got to go out and make a play on the ball when it comes to you.”
(Just put it in the radius, that’s all you need to do?) – “That’s all it is, man.”
(I was not expecting a QB Brock Osweiler reference there.) – “I hope I didn’t miss any, but I think that covers it.”
(What did you think about the video of Ryan Fitzpatrick singing to QB Tua Tagovailoa before the game? Did you see that?) – “Yes, hilarious. I don’t know what Amazon is paying ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick), but they should double it. (laughter) That guy is one of a kind. I’m happy for him. He’s obviously doing great things and is going to continue to make a lot of people laugh.”
(Can you talk a little bit about the season that you’re having, what you want to see better from yourself and the offense?) – “I just have to keep doing what I’m doing, make the most of my opportunities when they present themselves and control the controllables. It’s really all I can do. I’ve been doing this for five years now. I’ve had big games; I’ve had games where (there’s) not a lot of impact on the stat sheet – it is what it is. I’ve just got to continue to do what I do and be ready when my number is called.”
(Did you see QB Zach Wilson’s griddy?) – “Yes, I did, and I’m happy for him. I’m happy that he kind of let loose out there.”
(He was better than you.) – “(laughter) Listen, it depends on who’s grading it. It also depends on what you’re looking for. I really let loose out there, and I think that I opened the door for a lot of other people to kind of feel comfortable out there. So I’m happy that I could do that.”
(Have the practices been happening, going back to the griddy in front of the mirror?) – “As I’ve thought about it, naturally, will it probably happen if I score again? Yeah, probably. But like – I don’t know, man. A lot of people are doing it. I mean, I obviously piggybacked off a lot of other people. So I’d still like to be unique. When I did it, I thought it was absolutely hilarious, so that’s why I did it. So I don’t know if it’ll still have the same effect the second time around.”
(Did you get any reviews from your wife on your dance?) – “Oh, yes – she was not proud. She told me not to embarrass her like that ever again, so she’s had me practicing several times a day since then. (laughter)”
(Any birthday plans?) – “Birthday plans. So I took Durham (Smythe) out to dinner when we were in Tampa for his birthday. So (my wife) Halle asked me yesterday, she said, ‘Hey, what do you want to do for your birthday?’ And not to her liking, my response was, ‘I want Durham to take me out to dinner so I can run the tab up on him because I paid for his dinner, so I want to make sure that I’m taking money out of his bank account now.’ Halle, obviously, wanted to do some romantic date, but I was like, ‘Halle, there’s always next year.’ (laughter) So I’m hoping that she caves, and I can go out to dinner with Durham. Halle can come too, but like… (laughter)”
(Do you have a place in mind to eat?) – “No, not off the top my head. Maybe – I have no idea. Somewhere expensive. Maybe, what is it – Nobu or whatever the sushi spot is? Yeah, I’ll just order a bunch of spicy tuna rolls that are probably way overpriced that you could probably get it like Phat Boy Sushi in Fort Lauderdale.”
(You’re getting to go back to Jersey this weekend, that’s always an exciting time.) – “Oh, I was just back up in Jersey yesterday. So yes, heading back up there again. It’s always cool to get back up there and play in front of home, family, all that kind of stuff. Looking forward to another opportunity.”
