Mike Gesicki – May 11, 2018
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Friday, May 11, 2018
Tight End Mike Gesicki
(Pronunciation on the last name?) – “guh-sick-EE.”
(guh-sick-EE?) – “Yes, guh-sick-EE.”
(Your goal as a rookie? You probably read or heard there are expectations you would come in and start. Is that where your mindset is?) – “No. I think ultimately coming in here, my first and foremost only goal that I have today right now is to continue to dive into that playbook and continue to feel more comfortable with my job, my assignment, my role on each and every play. There’s a lot of stuff going on in that playbook and I’m at my best when I can play fast and play confident. I just have to continue to feel comfortable in that. In terms of goals and expectations, I do hold myself to a very high standard and I expect a lot out of myself; but I’m not going to come out and say where I want myself on the depth chart or this and that because there are a lot of talented guys in that room and a lot of guys with some experience in this league. So whether I can learn from them, whether we can learn from each other, grow as a group, grow as a complete room, that’s what I’m excited about.”
(When you’re labeled as an athletic tight end, do you like that? Do you think that pigeon-holes you? It seems like a good title.) – “I think that especially with the way the game of football is going, I think that athletic tight ends are kind of an important piece to the puzzle; but ultimately, you have to be able to do everything. You have to be able to run block. You have to be able to pass block. You have to be able to run the deeper routes, the shorter routes, just everything. When you’re a tight end, you’re involved in every aspect of the game. I can’t just go in there and be a big receiver. I’ve got to be able to go in on running downs and all of that kind of stuff. It is something I would say that label, the athletic tight end, I think it fits me; but I will continue to work to be a complete tight end. It’s something that I’m going to continue to work on.”
(You took some knocks in the pre-draft process for the blocking. Did you hear that criticism? Did it anger you? Did it inspire you?) – “I’ve been criticized my entire career, so it’s nothing new. It’s not something that (is) a new aspect to my game. I’ve dealt with adversity in my career before. I’ve handled criticism, all that kind of stuff; but ultimately, I try to block it out. If you hear it, that’s it with it. I’m not really going to pay too much attention to it just because the only thing that’s really important to me is the Miami Dolphins organization, (Tight Ends) Coach (Shane) Day, (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase, those kind of guys and their criticism on me and their coaching on me, because those are the guys I’m trying to impress.”
(But you constantly hear it?) – “Absolutely.”
(It has to bother you.) – “Bother? I think that’s just natural. If somebody says something about you, you’re not going to be happy about it, but I try to just … It is what it is. That’s what people want to say; but at the end of the day, everybody is going to have their opinion and all of that kind of stuff. I’ll be the first one to tell you that I need to continue to improve in the run game, blocking and all of that kind of stuff. If you guys know anything about me and who I am, I’m extremely competitive. I work my tail off each and every day, so I’m going to get to where I need to be.”
(Coming from up north, you’re not really in the worst of it yet down here, but what do you know about the climate down here and what training camp is going to be like?) – “It’s going to be hot. Down in southern Florida, it’s definitely going to get a little warm, a little humid and all of that kind of stuff; but I’ve dealt with the humidity and all of that kind of stuff. I know it’s not exactly the same, but I’m from New Jersey right by the beach. You kind of deal with a little bit of that, but obviously not to this extent. It’s just part of the game. Once you get acclimated to it, you get used to it.”
(Is that something they harp on with you guys this weekend?) – “Absolutely.”
(Just so you know what you’re getting into?) – “Yes. They’re talking about nutrition and hydration and all of that kind of stuff to prepare you to be ready for that.”
(Without thinking of the blocking aspect at all, what on the football field do you do really well, that you love doing, that you enjoy and what is it that you struggle with?) – “I think my best attribute would by high-pointing the ball, going making contested catches, scoring touchdowns in the red zone, that kind of stuff, and making big plays. That’s definitely one of the reasons why I was picked where I was. Just some other things I need to work on (is) just the minor details of route running, the minor details of your first step coming out of breaks and all of that kind of stuff. I’m nowhere near to where I need to be, but I’m going to get there whether it’s this year or next year with these coaches and the time and the effort they put into everybody on this team. It’s great.”
(Why didn’t you end up playing basketball?) – “Basketball was a sport that I played my entire life and then when I started getting into football in middle school and high school and all that kind of stuff, I started seeing my potential with football and where the game of football could take me. Now I’m standing here a tight end for the Miami Dolphins, so it’s kind of been a dream come true in that aspect of it. I didn’t see my career path taking me to the NBA in basketball.”
(At what age – at what point – did you say, “Okay, I need to put most of my effort and energy into football?”) – “I didn’t put all of my effort and energy into football until I got to college. I was always … I was playing football in the fall; I was playing basketball in the winter time, volleyball in the spring time and then obviously lifting, running and all of that kind of stuff in between. That’s why I say I haven’t really scratched the surface of the player that I can become. I’ve really played tight end now. I played receiver in high school. I’ve played tight end now for three and a half years at Penn State. There is definitely a lot of steps I can take forward and continue to get better. That’s what I’m really excited about.”
(Did you get offers for basketball?) – “Yes, I had a couple offers. More like Patriot League schools – Bucknell, Colgate, Lehigh, schools like that, that I visited for basketball – and then obviously you take the visits for football and you go to Penn State and you see 110,000 people in the stands and you’re like, ‘Alright, I’m playing football.’ (laughter)”
(What can you tell us about matching up directly with LB Jerome Baker over the last couple years?) – “Obviously, Ohio State was a big game for us each and every year. He was kind of the leader of their defense. There were situations where me and him were matched up together and all of that kind of stuff. He’s a great player. He’s really athletic. He uses his speed to his advantage. Obviously, it’s gotten him to where he is today.”
(LB Jerome Baker says everyone always tells him he’s too small. I’m guessing you’re not one of the guys that…) – “Absolutely not. People are going to say whatever they’re going to say. He’s a great example of blocking that out and getting to where he is today without listening to that.”
(Watching NFL games on TV the last few years, is there anyone you watch where you think, “I would like to be like him. I could be like him?”) – “Those guys set a really high standard and I’m not comparing myself to any of those guys just because I have a lot of work to do; but a guy that I have watched a lot is – two guys – Travis Kelce and Jimmy Graham. Two guys that … I think Jimmy Graham with the basketball background, all of that kind of stuff and being a big threat in the red zon,e and Travis Kelce being extremely athletic. They use him in a bunch of different scenarios and situations. Those guys obviously have been extremely talented and extremely successful the past couple years. Those are guys that I’m shooting for.”
(I don’t know anything at all about competitive volleyball, but you were really good, right?) – “Yes, I was alright. (laughter)”
(Do you feel like if you would’ve followed that track that you’d be at the highest level at that sport? Is that something that you could’ve done do you think?) – “Knowing me and knowing my work ethic and all that kind of stuff, I think if I put all my effort into it, why not? My volleyball team in high school, we went to the state finals four years in a row, won it my junior and senior year. I was the New Jersey state player of the year; but I don’t know how much that goes into the whole perspective.”
(Better money in football.) – “A little bit. (laughter)”
(The dunks on Twitter, when was that shot?) – “Like right then when I posted it. I think it was in January or February. I think it was in February.”
