Penn State’s Freiermuth acting as if it’s business as usual

Pat Freiermuth has his sights set on winning the John Mackey Award as college football’s best tight end and on becoming a firstteam All-American.

But Freiermuth, his Penn State teammates and every team across the country don’t know what the 2020 season will look like or if there will even be one because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I’d be lying if I said I haven’t thought about it,” he said Wednesday during a video conference. “Obviously I’ve thought about it, but you just try to block the noise out and stay away from what people have been saying.

“You wake up every day and think you’re going to have a season. You’re going to have an August training camp. You’re going to have a Sept. 5 start date. You’re going to come back in June or July. You have to have that kind of mentality and be ready to go.”

Which explains why Freiermuth works out twice a day at his Merrimac, Mass., home with a personal trainer and Trinity College quarterback Seamus Lambert, his former high school teammate. He wants to be prepared for whenever the Nittany Lions get the call to return to campus. He wants to be in optimal shape.

“If you’re making excuses not to work out now because, ‘Oh, we’re not going to have a season,’ and then you’re not ready when we’re told to come back, then it’s on you,” Freiermuth said. “I’m not going to let that happen to myself.”

Freiermuth has enjoyed two superb seasons for the Nittany Lions with 69 catches for 875 yards and 15 touchdowns, tying him with Mike Gesicki for the school’s career record by a tight end. He’s projected to be a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

“I just need to put it all together this year,” he said. “To become the best tight end in the country, I need to excel in every aspect of the game: run blocking, pass protection and running routes. I think I’m equipped to do all of the above.

“With all the work I’ve put in this offseason, I’m very confident that I’m going to get that done. I’m very confident in myself as a player.”

Freiermuth also has not let his guard down with COVID-19. He’s taking precautions and understands life will be different when he returns to State College.

“You have to be very careful about who you’re socializing with and where you’re going,” he said. “You have to make sure you’re following all the guidelines. If you can do that, I think you’re in a good position.

“I think everyone on campus and everyone on the team can follow the guidelines. If there’s still in-person classes, cut down lecture halls and maybe get your temperature checked before you go into buildings. Those are the things we have to do to go back and restart our normal lives.”

Freiermuth wants to return to campus as soon as possible to prepare for the season. He doesn’t care whether Beaver Stadium will have a limited number of fans or no fans at all.

The Lions are carrying hopes of winning the Big Ten and national titles.

“If we play in front of no fans, in front of 20,000 fans, in front of 100,000 fans, it’s still the game of football,” Freiermuth said. “You only need a field and two goalposts to play. If you really love the game of football, you’re going to play it regardless.

“I would just be grateful to go out there and play in Beaver Stadium one more time with or without fans. I think most of the guys would say that, too. You play this game for the love of it.”