[autotag]Pat Freiermuth[/autotag] entered the NFL last year after a successful career at Penn State. Some of that success came against a ton of teams, including the Pittsburgh Panthers.
This of course can’t be a fact forgotten by the second-year NFL tight end as he welcomes in a new rookie quarterback. Thankfully, hazing has been removed by the NFL and most teams nationwide, but poking fun at a former college rival can still be fun.
Kenny Pickett was the only quarterback selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft. He enters the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason with a chance to compete for the starting job but he would do well to keep Freiermuth on his good side. Based on the preview we all got when the former Penn State tight end was given a microphone this past week at the team’s voluntary workouts, things are going in the right direction.
Pat Freiermuth mic’d up at OTAs:
“Kenny, get a haircut. Hey Kenny, did you ever beat Penn State?”
Kenny: “we get it, you’re mic’d up bro” pic.twitter.com/pbPGzCnzso
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) May 27, 2022
After practice, Pat Freiermuth talked with WPXI’s Jenna Harner and said he “loves Kenny” but he will never let him forget he never beat the Nittany Lions.
After a long break, Penn State and Pittsburgh renewed their rivalry in 2016. In their first game back, Pittsburgh would win a thriller at Heinz Field. Only problem is for Pickett, that win came when he wasn’t at Pitt yet. By the time Pickett was able to be Pitt’s quarterback he would suffer loses in his only two starts against them, one blowout and one heart breaker despite him playing his best.
The only hope of getting back at Freiermuth comes with Pickett reminding him that he had only one catch in those two games. Then again, why ruin what seems to be a fruitful relationship between the two. Pat Freiermuth was a pleasant surprise in the Steelers offense last year and proved to be a favorite of the now-retired Ben Roethlisberger. Whether it is a rookie in Pickett or a veteran in Mitchell Trubisky, he is bound to be the focus of the Steelers offense for the few years ahead.
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