On Saturday, Pat Freiermuth hosted his first youth football camp at North Allegheny High School, and during the event, WTAE’s Emily Giangreco caught up with him and he offered his thoughts on the draft and talked about his love for the Pittsburgh community.
“Pittsburgh’s been so great to me and my family in my first two years here,” Freiermuth said, “and I just wanna continue to show my love and appreciation towards them by giving back to the community as much as I can and just really show my appreciation towards them.”
Freiermuth is originally from Massachusetts, but he chose to hold his camp in Pittsburgh to give back to the community and offer his advice to up-and-coming football players. His camp was organized by Athletes Making Progress Together, a group that facilitates camps held by athletes for youth in the community. Freiermuth’s camp was held for kids between 7-12.
Freiermuth also offered his thoughts on Pittsburgh’s draft, with particular praise for fellow tight end Darnell Washington, who worked at Freiermuth’s camp.
“I love it. I think we did a great job,” he said. “Obviously, keep building that Pickett fence that they talk about. And getting me Darnell, Darnell’s out here today and I really appreciate that, showing his commitment to the team and to me and it’s big time. I think we did a great job in the draft.”
Adding Washington will allow the Steelers to shift to a lot more 12 personnel and focus on using Freiermuth more as a receiver, while fellow tight ends Zach Gentry and Washington can focus on blocking. While Washington could be an elite blocking tight end at the NFL level, Steelers general manager Omar Khan also believes he can be a receiving threat for the team.
Not that Freiermuth’s job is in danger, as the Penn State product has been a solid weapon during his first two seasons in the league. With 60 receptions his rookie season and 63 last year, Freiermuth is sure-handed, and last year he evolved as more of a vertical threat with 732 yards after totaling 497 as a rookie. He also had seven receiving touchdowns his rookie season, and he should be closer to that number in 2023 after catching just two touchdowns last season.
The Steelers’ tight end room has not been a weakness, but with the addition of Washington, it becomes a lot more of a strength now. It’s going to be a fun unit to watch, with Washington’s blocking ability coupled with his 6’7 frame making him an option in the passing game and the always-reliable Freiermuth hopefully able to expand his role as a receiver. It’s also always nice to see a player give back to the community like Freiermuth did. He should continue to be a pillar of the Steelers and Pittsburgh community for years to come.
