This week, Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to Super Bowl XLI champion Ben Utecht.
In his interview with Easton Jr., Utecht discussed his collaboration with his alma mater, the University of Minnesota, on developing the Shower Sock and his thoughts on Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce revolutionizing the tight end position.
“I grew up in Minnesota and chose to stay home and play for the Gophers,” Utecht explained. “I had a great career there, built many relationships, and was not just in the athletic department. When I came up with this idea, my first instinct was to return to the Bakken Medical Device Center at the University of Minnesota. The University of Minnesota Medical Center is one of the top four in the country, and I knew they would be able to direct and guide me through this process. They were just absolutely amazing.”
Utecht partnered with global med-tech executives Mario Nozzarella and Heinrich Von Solms to develop the product further. They secured US and international patents and trademarks and developed the manufacturing and chemical application process for what has now become the Shower Sockᵀᴹ.
The former First-team All-Big Ten tight end has appreciated the position’s growth since retiring in 2009. He acknowledged the greatness of two Chiefs legends at the position and how it’s evolved over the years.
“When you think about the progression over the last 15 years, when I came out, Tony Gonzalez was the pinnacle,” Utecht said. “He was, at his all-time greatest, not an overly fast tight end but an amazing position receiver, somebody who was knowledgeable about the game and could incorporate that to put himself in positions on the field where he knew the gaps in the defense.
“Then, we progressed to Jeremy Shockey, and then we progressed to Rob Gronkowski. And now you’ve got this combination of players who have speed, know how to put themselves in the right positions, and have the courage to put their bodies into the block on the line of scrimmage. I think (Travis) Kelce is an excellent example of all the above.”
Utecht also credits the coaches’ game plans, including Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, with affecting today’s tight ends.
“Something that goes a little undervalued or doesn’t get discussed is the coaching side; You must have an offensive staff and philosophy built toward the tight end,” Utecht explained. “You have to have a scheme that allows somebody with Travis Kelce’s talent to know how to take advantage of it, and they do that very well. The 49ers did that very well, and the Patriots, with Rob Gronkowski, did that very well. The Colts, with Dallas Clark and myself, did that very well.
“So when you have the suitable scheme and the right coaching strategy on top of the physical ability to do every aspect of the tight end position, which is second to the quarterback, has the greatest responsibility because you have to be in the backfield, you have to be in the slot, you have to be out wide, you’ve got to be on the line of scrimmage, you’ve got to pass protect, you’ve got to run block. So there’s nothing that the tight end doesn’t do, and so, yeah, hats off to what the Chiefs have done with his career, and he’s a great talent, and it’s no surprise that he’s going to go down in history as one of the greatest tight ends to play the game.”
For more information on the Shower Sock, log on to ShowerSock.com & follow on X, Instagram and Facebook