April 27, 2018
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - Penn State tight end Mike Gesicki (Manahawkin, N.J.) was selected in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins with the 42nd overall pick Friday night in Arlington, Texas. Gesicki is the 12th Penn State player to be drafted by the Miami and joins former Nittany Lions Mike Hull, Jordan Lucas and Cameron Wake on the Dolphins roster.
Gesicki joins Saquon Barkley (Coplay, Pa.) as Penn Staters to hear their name called in this year's NFL Draft. Barkley was the No. 2 overall selection by the New York Giants Thursday night.
A total of 346 Nittany Lions have been selected all-time in the NFL Draft, which ranks seventh among Division I institutions, including 37 in the first round.
Gesicki is highest Penn State tight end selected in the NFL Draft since Kyle Brady was the ninth overall selection in 1995 by the New York Jets. Gesicki is also the first Nittany Lion tight end to be selected since Jesse James went in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Gesicki is the 20th Penn State tight end to be picked in the NFL Draft
"We couldn't be more excited for Mike to be drafted in the second round of the NFL Draft by the Dolphins," Penn State Head Coach James Franklin said. "Mike took the adversity he had early in his career and used it as fuel to become one of the top tight ends in Penn State history. He is an athletic freak and showed that with his performance at the NFL Combine. Even at the next level, he will pose a matchup problem with his ability to high-point the ball and outleap his defenders. He also excelled in the classroom, earning his degree in advertising and public relations in December."
"I could not be happier to watch Mike enter the next stage of his life," offensive coordinator Ricky Rahne said. "While his almost unparalleled athleticism has been well documented, I was always more impressed with his work ethic and desire to prepare. These two characteristics allowed his natural ability to shine, and they will continue to make him a weapon at the next level."
Mike Gesicki, TE/H, 6-6, 250, Manahawkin, N.J./Southern Regional
- 2017 Sporting News second-team All-American.
- First-team all-conference selection by the media and second-team All-Big Ten choice by the coaches.
- Selected as one of three finalists for the Mackey Award for National Tight End of the Year.
- Named second-team All-America by SB Nation and third-team All-America by College Sports Madness.
- Selected to the Reese's Senior Bowl.
- Ranked fourth among FBS tight ends in touchdown receptions (9), fifth among FBS tight ends in yards (563) and third among FBS tight ends in receptions (57) in 2017.
- Had at least one reception in 27-straight games to end his career.
- Of his 57 catches this season, 37 of them went for a first down or a touchdown.
- Set the Penn State career receptions record for tight ends with his final catch vs. Pittsburgh, eclipsing Andrew Quarless' 87 grabs from 2006-09.
- Surpassed Ted Kwalick's 1,343 yards from 1966-68 for the most receiving yards by a tight end vs. Nebraska and has 1,419 yards in his career.
- Finished No. 9 on the career receptions charts with 129 grabs.
- Finished No. 17 on Penn State's career receiving yards chart with 1,481 yards.
- Became the 29th Penn State pass catcher to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards vs. Pittsburgh.
- Had 13 career touchdown receptions, moving past Jesse James (11; 2012-14) for the school record for a tight end.
- Owns the Penn State single season record for touchdown catches for a tight end with seven in 2017.
- Owns the single-season record for receptions by a tight end with 48 in 2016, passing Andrew Quarless (41; 2009), and yardage by a tight end at 679 in 2016, besting Mickey Shuler's single-season record of 600 receiving yards (1977).
- Earned third-team All-American honors from College Sports Madness in 2016.
- Named All-Big Ten second team by the media panel as a junior.
- Led the Big Ten and was tied for No. 7 nationally in receptions by a tight end (48) and receiving yards by a tight end (679) in 2016.
Penn State returns 13 starters (8 offensive, 3 defensive, 2 specialists) and 26 additional lettermen. The Nittany Lions open the season at Beaver Stadium against Appalachian State September 1.
More than 6,100 new season tickets have already been sold for the 2018 season presented by PSECU. For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and purchasing new 2018 season tickets, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.PSUnrivaled.com, call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office weekdays from 10 a.m-6 p.m.