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STATE COLLEGE, Pa. Sophia Smith Jersey . -- Penn State tight end Mike Gesicki gets a quick pep talk from a teammate or two before every game.Be Mike, they say.Its taken him some time to figure out exactly what that meant, but hes on the right track. Gesickis found his way in Penn States emerging offense with 14 catches over the past three games and has become Trace McSorleys most reliable receiver.Hes a different Mike that the one who played the last two years. That one was enamored with thoughts of stardom and his overconfidence never let nerves seep in before games. That Mike led the team in drops and played less and less as the year wore on.I wanted people to know who I was, Gesicki said. I wanted to go out there and make big plays. I wanted to be the guy. When that kind of stuff didnt happen for me, I wasnt doing the things that I wanted to do, I just changed my whole mindset. I dont care if I walk down the street and nobody knows me. As long as Penn State wins, thats all I care about.With his fresh outlook, the 6-foot-6, 252-pound Gesicki appears primed to play a big role against No. 2 Ohio State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) at Beaver Stadium on Saturday.Wisconsin used tight end Troy Fumagalli to move the ball against the Buckeyes last week. Fumagalli caught 7 of 9 targets for 84 yards with three third-down conversions. Like Fumagalli whos also 6-foot-6, Gesicki creates mismatches against most players in coverage.He can go up and get the ball, Penn State linebacker Brandon Smith said. And when you cover a guy like that, youve got to respect his speed and try to get hands on him.Gesicki has learned to take advantage of them in coordinator Joe Moorheads offense. The former Fordham head coach always had big plans for Gesicki and hed developed tight ends in the past. Three of them combined for 203 catches for 2,025 yards and 16 touchdowns in Moorheads last four years at Fordham.With Gesicki running routes deep and across the field where hes done most of his damage, Penn States passing game has developed as McSorleys kept plays alive with his feet. McSorleys completed 17 passes of 25 or more yards and his willingness to throw deep has provided Gesicki with more running room after catches with safeties are backed up, Gesicki said.Its much different from the last two years when he struggled to pick up blocking assignments and dropped balls when they came his way. It was on the plane ride home from the teams bowl game that Gesicki mulled over his first two seasons -- humbling 11- and 13-catch campaigns.Eric Fierro, who coached Gesicki in football and basketball at New Jerseys Southern Regional High School, points to a YouTube video of basketball highlights where Gesicki is draining 3s, sawing through the paint for finishes, slamming home alley-oops and blocking opponents seemingly at will to illustrate how used to dominating he was.A lot came for Michael really quickly in a lot of sports in high school, Fierro told the AP. A lot of attention from a lot of colleges came really quickly and as you can imagine for a 15-year-old kid whose dream is coming to fruition right before him, he had some growing pains going through high school and going to Penn State.A standout in the weight room, Gesicki spent most of the latter months last season staying after practice to pop the tackling sled or catch extra passes. Hes still doing that this season and feeling something different as a result.Before the first game this season, I was so nervous, Gesicki said. I was sitting at my locker just thinking about everything. I was talking to (teammate) Saeed (Blacknall) about it and he was like, `Its because you put in so much work. Nothing has ever been this important to you. Sydney Leroux Jersey . Deulofeu injured a muscle in his right leg in Evertons 4-1 win over Fulham in the English Premier League on Saturday. Barcelona says that its team doctors will "co-ordinate" with Evertons medical staff as Deulofeu recovers. Crystal Dunn Soubrier Jersey . With their top three point guards and Kobe Bryant all sidelined by injury, the Lakers signed Marshall out of the D-League on Friday before their home game against Minnesota. https://www.cheapuswnt.com/142w-april-heinrichs-jersey-usa.html .S. Open champion Justin Rose birdied the first hole with a blind shot he hit to a foot of the pin, and he stayed in front Tuesday until he completed a 4-under 67 for a two-shot lead over Jason Dufner in PGA Grand Slam of Golf. PHILADELPHIA -- The NFL is expected to pick up the majority of the cost to stage the 2017 draft in Philadelphia, with the citys iconic Rocky steps serving as its backdrop.City officials say they dont expect the NFLs 82nd event to come at taxpayer expense, but instead expect to fundraise about $5 million of the $25 million budget with the league paying for the events staging and infrastructure.Senior vice president Peter OReilly said on Thursday the events location will represent a return to the birthplace of the draft. The first NFL draft was held in Philadelphia in 1936, when the Eagles selected versatile halfback Jay Berwanger first overall.This is clearly a very passionate football town, its also a city steeped in NFL history, Reilly said.The draft was held in New York for decades before being moved in 2015 to Chicago, where it was also held this year. It was last held in Philly in 1960.Hosting the draft is just the latest in a string of high profile events for Philadelphia. Pope Francis celebrated Mass in a similar location near the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Benjamin Franklin Parkway during a visit to the city last fall. The city also hosted the four-day Democratic National Convention in July.Mayor Jim Kenney said the city knows how to hold major events, and while hosting the draft may ultimately require some city funds, it will be worth the return on investment.Its a very signifiicant event from individual expenditures. Adrianna Franch Jersey. People who come are going to be spending money, Kenney said.City officials visited Chicago to see how the event was previously hosted, and took NFL leadership on tours of Philadelphia and its venues.Philadelphia beat out several other locations vying to host the event, which will be held April 27-29. The first three rounds are held in prime time. The hometown Eagles wont have a pick, however, in the first round.Draft organizers said Philadelphia may draw a bigger crowd than Chicago because nine NFL team markets sit within driving distance to the city. Philadelphia is currently one of 13 teams not to have won a Super Bowl.Julie Coker-Graham, Philadelphia convention and visitors bureau president, said more than 200,000 fans are expected to flood the city during the three-day event. Half of those fans are expected to come from out of town.ESPN analyst and former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski will help lead the host committee and said he and others were relentless in (their) approach to find a way to get the draft back to Philadelphia, 80 years after its conception.Theres incredible passion for football in this community, he said.---AP NFL websites: http://pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '
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