➤ Career Notes and Records
Career: Finished his career with at least one reception in 27-straight games...Ranked No. 9 in Penn State history with a Penn State tight end-record 129 catches...Capped his career at No. 17 on Penn State's career receiving yards chart with a Penn State tight end-record 1,481 yards...Hauled in a Penn State tight end-record 15 career receiving touchdowns to rank tied for No. 9 in school history at the conclusion of his senior season...Eclipsed the tight ends record for receptions with his final catch vs. Pittsburgh (9/9/17), surpassing Andrew Quarless' 87 grabs from 2006-09...Supplanted Ted Kwalick's (1,343; 1966-68) tight end receptions yardage record vs. Nebraska (11/18/17) after the record stood for 49 seasons...Moved past Jesse James' (11; 2012-14) school record for touchdown receptions by a tight end against Nebraksa (11/18/17)...Became the 29th Penn State pass catcher to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards vs. Pittsburgh (9/9/17)...Was the 15th Nittany Lion with 100-plus career receptions, joining teammates Saquon Barkley (102; 2015-17), Chris Godwin (154; 2014-16) and DaeSean Hamilton (209; 2014-17) and current assistant coach Terry Smith (108; 1989-91)...Gesicki and Hamilton became the third set of teammates with 100-plus career receptions, joining Derrick Williams, Jordan Norwood and Deon Butler (2005-08) and Hamilton and Godwin (2014-16)...Joined teammates Barkley and Hamilton as the second RB/WR/TE trio to eclipse 1,000 career receiving yards in Big Ten history (Purdue, 1982-85: WR Steve Griffin, 2,234 yards; RB Rodney Carter, 1,814 yards; TE Marty Scott, 1,247 yards).
Season: 2017: Set the Penn State single-season record for touchdown catches for a tight end with nine, a mark that was tied for No. 9 on the season charts with current Nittany Lion assistant coach Terry Smith (1991) and Derek Moye (2010) at season's end...Owns the single-season record for receptions by a tight end with 57, surpassing his 48 grabs from 2016...The 57 receptions ranked tied for No. 8 on the single-season list at the end of 2017. 2016: Surpassed Andrew Quarless (41; 2009) for the most receptions by a tight end in a single season with 48, a mark he surpassed in 2017...Set the single-season mark for receiving yardage by a tight end at 679, besting Mickey Shuler's previous single-season record of 600 receiving yards (1977)...His 48 catches ranked No. 18 at the end of his career.
➤ 2017 ➤ Senior Season
Awards: Named second-team All-America tight end by SB Nation and Sporting News...Selected a third-team All-American by College Sports Madness and Phil Steele...Garnered National Football Foundation's (NFF) South New Jersey Collegiate Player of the Year honors...Earned first-team All-Big Ten honors from the media and second-team accolades from the conference coaches...Named first-team All-Big Ten by Pro Football Focus...Garnered second-team All-Big Ten from the Associated Press and Phil Steele...Named first-team All-ECAC...Selected as one of three finalists for the Mackey Award, for the nation's top tight end...Earned Midseason All-America honors from Sports Illustrated...Earned Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week honors on Sept. 12 after catching two touchdown passes vs. Pittsburgh...Selected to the Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week following his two-touchdown effort vs. Nebraska (11/18)...Selected a preseason first-team All-America by the Associated Press, Sporting News, USA Today and Street & Smith...Earned second-team All-America from Sports Illustrated, Athlon Sports and Lindy's...Earned the Quarterback Club Award at the annual team banquet, the award for seniors whom deserve special recognition...Named Academic All-Big Ten... Selected to play in the Reese's Senior Bowl.
Season: Started all 13 games...Caught a touchdown pass in five-straight games from Nov. 26, 2016-Sept. 9, 2017, including multiple touchdown grabs in the first two games...Finished his career with at least one reception in 27-straight games...Of his 57 catches on the season, 33 of them (58%) went for a first down or a touchdown...One of 21 Penn Staters to enter the Fiesta Bowl having already earned a degree.
Rankings: Ranked tied No. 25 nationally and No. 3 in the Big Ten in receiving touchdowns (9)...Finished tied for No. 86 nationally and No. 6 in the Big Ten in receptions per game (4.4)...Sat No. 3 nationally among tight ends in receptions (57), No. 4 in receiving touchdowns (9) and No. 5 in receiving yards (563).
Akron (9/2): Had six catches and a career-high two touchdown grabs...Totaled 58 yards...Made scoring grabs of 13 and 35 yards. Pittsburgh (9/9): Had two touchdown grabs and tied for team high with four catches...Totaled 39 yards receiving...Made his first career tackle on an interception that ended the first half. Georgia State (9/16): Caught two passes for 26 yards, including a 20-yard catch-and-run to get Penn State out of the shadow of its own goal line after GSU downed a punt at the PSU 1-yard line. at Iowa (9/23): Had five receptions for 25 yards...Two of his receptions went for first downs and another came on Penn State's game-winning touchdown drive. Indiana (9/30): Made three catches for 19 yards. at Northwestern (10/7): Made two catches for 9 yards. Michigan (10/21): Caught two passes for 53 yards...Both catches went for first downs...Had a 42-yard leaping grab at the Michigan 15-yard line to set up Saquon Barkley's 15-yard touchdown run in the first quarter...Went up and caught a 17-yard pass to make it first-and-goal on the UM 3-yard line, which set up Trace McSorley's touchdown run on the next play, just before halftime. at Ohio State: Caught six passes for 57 yards...Four of his six receptions went for first downs. at Michigan State (11/4): Led the team with a career-high eight catches, totaling a career-high 89 yards...Three of his eight catches went for first downs. Rutgers (11/11): Hauled in one touchdown grab...Made four catches for 45 yards in the game. Nebraska (11/18): Caught four passes for 47 yards and two touchdowns...All four passes went for either a first down or touchdown...Caught touchdown passes of 9 and 17 yards in the game. at Maryland (11/25): Logged his fourth multi-touchdown game of the season with two scoring grabs...Caught five passes for 35 yards. vs. Washington (12/30): Caught six passes for 62 yards...Three of his six grabs went for first downs.
➤ 2016 ➤ Junior Season
Awards: Earned third-team All-American honors from College Sports Madness...Named All-Big Ten second team by the media panel...Selected All-Big Ten honorable mention by the conference coaches...First Penn State tight end to earn All-Big Ten first or second team honors since Kyle Carter (first team) in 2012...Selected to the Athlon Sports All-Big Ten second team...Named to Phil Steele’s All-Big Ten third team...Earned All-ECAC honorable mention honors...Selected to the Mackey Award Preseason Watch List and Mackey Midseason Watch List...Named Academic All-Big Ten for the second time in his career.
Season: Started all 14 games...Had four or more catches in seven of the last 12 games...Doubled his career receiving yardage total entering the season.
Final Rankings: Led the Big Ten and was tied for No. 7 nationally in receptions by a tight end (48)...Ranked No. 1 in the B1G and No. 7 in FBS in receiving yards by a tight end (679)...Led the Big Ten and was tied for No. 13 in FBS in touchdowns by a tight end (5).
Kent State (9/3): Made three receptions including a touchdown grab...Totaled 49 yards receiving. at Pitt (9/10): Caught four passes for 47 yards. Temple (9/17): Logged 62 receiving yards on two catches...Hauled in a 52-yarder with a one-handed grab in the third quarter. at Michigan (9/24): Grabbed a career-high five passes for 23 yards. Minnesota (10/1): Tied a career high with five grabs for 70 yards...Hauled in a career-long 53-yard reception to set up first-and-goal, eventually leading to a Trace McSorley touchdown run. Maryland (10/8): Pulled in four receptions for 26 yards and one touchdown...Capped Penn State opening drive with a 5-yard catch-and-run that ended in a dive into the end zone. Ohio State (10/22): Caught four passes for 46 yards...Had a 16-yard grab on Penn State's fourth quarter touchdown drive...Pulled in a 26-yarder on his first catch of the game on Penn State’s opening drive. at Purdue (10/29): Made one catch, a 23-yard grab on third-and-10 on Penn State’s opening drive, which eventually ended in a Saquon Barkley touchdown run. Iowa (11/5): Pulled down four catches for 65 yards...Caught three passes on Penn State’s third scoring drive of the game, including a 43-yard catch-and-run that set up Trace McSorley’s 1-yard touchdown run. at Indiana (11/12): Tied a career high with five catches for a career-best 88 yards...Made a 45-yard reception in the first quarter. at Rutgers (11/19): Tied his career high for the second-straight week with five grabs...Totaled a game-high 47 receiving yards. Michigan State (11/26): Pulled in two passes for 65 yards and one touchdown...Made a leaping 45-yard grab and fell backwards into the end zone for a touchdown in the third quarter. vs. Wisconsin (12/3): Caught three passes for 58 yards and one touchdown...Hauled in a 33-yard touchdown grab to open the scoring for Penn State in the first quarter, his first TD reception outside of Beaver Stadium. vs. USC (1/2): Made one catch for 11 yards..Lone reception was an 11-yard touchdown grab with 54 seconds remaining in the second quarter to pull Penn State within six points at the half.
➤ 2015 ➤ Sophomore Season
Awards: Named Academic All-Big Ten for the first time in his career.
Season: Appeared in 12 games with eight starts.
Buffalo (9/12): Tied for second on the team with three catches...Gained 14 yards. Rutgers (9/19): Made one catch for six yards. San Diego State (9/26): Had two catches for 11 yards. Army (10/3): Made one catch, 33-yard reception for his first career touchdown in the third quarter...Reception capped a three-play touchdown drive to end the third quarter, all three plays were completions by Christian Hackenberg. Indiana (10/10): Caught two passes for 21 yards...Notched a 16-yard grab during Penn State’s third scoring drive of the game. Illinois (10/31): Caught two passes for 26 yards...Both catches came during Penn State scoring drives...Had a long catch of 17 yards. at Northwestern (11/7): Made one catch for five yards. Michigan (11/21): Made one catch for nine yards.
➤ 2014 ➤ True Freshman Season
Awards: Named to the BTN.com Big Ten All-Freshman Team... Earned Dean's List accolades in the 2015 spring semester.
Season: Appeared in all 13 games with one start at tight end during his true freshman campaign...Made 11 catches for 114 yards...One of nine true freshmen to make their debut in 2014 and was among seven true freshmen to start a game...Began his career with one catch in each of his first three games and caught at least one pass in nine of Penn State’s 13 games.
UCF (8/30): Collected his first career catch, a 9-yard reception in the opening quarter, of his first collegiate game. Akron (9/6): Made an 11-yard grab in the win. at Rutgers (9/13): Tallied a 7-yard catch on the second Penn State scoring drive in the 13-10 come-from-behind win. Northwestern (9/27): Made one catch for six yards. at Michigan (10/11): Pulled down a season-high two receptions (10 yards). Ohio State (10/25): Tallied one catch for three yards in the double-overtime contest. Maryland (11/1): Made his first career start. at Indiana (11/8): Rumbled into Indiana territory with a 28-yard reception for his only catch in the game. at Illinois (11/22): Caught one ball for seven yards. Michigan State (11/29): Tied his season high with two snags for 33 yards, including a season-long 30-yard reception.
➤ High School
Was one of the nation’s most highly-touted tight end prospects after earning four varsity letters for coach Chuck Donahue at Southern Regional High School...Ended his superlative career as the Rams’ all-time leading receiver with 1,817 yards on 103 receptions, with 16 touchdown catches...As a senior, made 33 catches for 530 yards and four scores to garner Under Armour All-America, all-state and first-team All-Shore honors...Played in the U.S. Army All-American Game following his senior season...His junior season featured a NJSIAA state runner-up finish and 50 catches for 954 yards and nine TDs...Named first-team All-Shore as a junior...Made 16 grabs for 276 yards and three scores to help the Rams to an 8-2 record and the school’s first Shore Conference title since 1972 as a sophomore...Played on the defensive side of the ball and corralled six interceptions and 23 tackles...Rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals, Scout and 247Sports and a three-star prospect by ESPN...Rated as the top tight end recruit in the class of 2014 by 247Sports and was a Top 15 tight end prospect nationally according to ESPN, Rivals and Scout...Also was rated a Top 15 recruit in the state of New Jersey by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports...A prep basketball and volleyball standout, earning a total of 12 letters in the three sports...Ended his career as the Rams’ all-time leading scorer in basketball (1,867 points)...Named MVP of the East/West Basketball All-Star Game and was the champion of the 2014 state dunk contest...Helped Southern Regional to the NJSIAA State Championship...Was named the 2013 New Jersey Player of the Year.
➤ Personal
Full name is Michael William Gesicki...Son of Michael and Donna Gesicki...Has two older sisters, Ashley and Kelsey...Enjoys playing sports, strength & conditioning, spending time with family and friends and going to the beach...Majoring in advertising and public relations...Born October 3, 1995 in Lakewood, New Jersey.