Following the close of the NFL offseason program, many players are on summer break before training camp kicks off in late July. Yet, a number of tight ends across the league were hard at work in Nashville, Tennessee to perfect their craft in this year's Tight End University.
Last Monday kicked off the fourth annual Tight End University (TEU) held on the Vanderbilt University campus. Former NFL tight end and current sports broadcaster Greg Olsen and nine-time Pro Bowler Travis Kelce teamed up with San Francisco 49ers star George Kittle to help unite tight ends from around the league for the three-day affair.
The summit is set to focus on technique, film study, on-field drills, player bonding, rehab and recovery. Kittle shared the objective of TEU is to elevate the skill of the position beyond the practice field and to learn successful traits from each of the playmakers in attendance.
"Really the whole point of Tight End U was to bring all these guys together and create great friendships so they get to know each other," Kittle said. "Next time you see them, a game in September or October, you see the guys across the field and can say 'hey, I hung out with you guys this past June. We became friends.' You can do a jersey swap. If you have a question about a defense you can call a friend and ask him, 'Hey, what were you thinking on this?' And it brings some attention to the tight end position, but also brings the guys together to have some fun."
Several of Kittle's Niners teammates showed up to the TE camp, including Logan Thomas, Eric Saubert, Cameron Latu, and Mason Pline. Quarterback Brandon Allen was among the quarterbacks participating in the event, joining Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott and Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons.
"I'm getting a lot out of this event," Thomas said. "Simply because I'm new to the team. The stuff that George is teaching and talking through is stuff that I need to hear and I need to learn. So, I'm able to absorb it and I can take it to my training."
To bring the tight end's summer camp to a new level, Kittle and his TEU team added two new wrinkles to the event's activities.
Following the first day of the camp's field drills, high school athletes from some of Middle Tennessee's newly sanctioned girls flag football teams came out the TEU summit for a flag football game with the NFL tight ends. Another new addition to the TEU summer activities was the first-ever "Tight Ends and Friends" concert. During a show at Brooklyn Bowl some of country music's biggest stars hit the stage, including Jelly Roll, Jon Pardi, Nate Smith and many more.
The summit closed out with a pool party as all the attendees gathered to celebrate with music, food trucks and special guests like professional golfer Bryson DeChambeau.
