One of the prizes of the Patriots' uncharacteristically aggressive offseason, tight end Jonnu Smith, will be going “back to school” this summer. And when looking at his peers he should be in pretty great company.
Smith will be participating in TEU, Tight End University, a self-described “tight end summit” that takes place in a place very familiar to Smith -- Nashville, Tennessee. The gathering of elite NFL tight end talent is organized by current players George Kittle and Travis Kelce, as well as former Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen. The class roster, if you will, for Summer 2021 is pretty impressive. There are standouts from across the league as well as highly touted rookies like Atlanta’s Kyle Pitts. The “university” even has a sponsor in Bud Light (light beers and college go hand in hand).
As of now Smith, the self proclaimed “hardest worker to ever come through Gillette Stadium," is the only tight end from New England scheduled to attend. There's no word as to whether the other prize free agent tight end in New England, Hunter Henry, or any other Patriots tight ends will participate. Also, there’s no word as to what TE University really is. It could be a skills camp for peers to share tips and technique. It could be a retreat for a burgeoning group of sports stars. It could just be a promo with an adult beverage sponsor. Any which way Pats fans who can’t get enough of their new players in action will keep a curious eye on the gridiron gathering.
Expectations for Smith (who attended college at Florida International University) and Henry are lofty as they join second-year players Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene as well as veteran Matt LaCosse, who opted out last season, in one of the more fascinating positional groups on the 2021 Patriots roster. We’ll see if he graduates TEU “magna cum laude” this summer.
