Lions rookie Sam LaPorta reacts to attending first Tight End University

A couple weeks ago, the third annual Tight End University event happened and Detroit Lions rookie Sam LaPorta was one of many NFL tight ends in attendance. Tight End University is an annual summit in Nashville founded by All-Pro tight ends Travis Kelce, George Kittle, and Greg Olsen to help tight ends develop their skills and share secrets of the trade.

LaPorta shared his experiences with the NFL, as evidenced by a tweet from the league’s official account. Here’s what he said in portions cut up by the NFL:

“We’ll be on the field for a little bit and also in the classroom.”

“I’ve got my notebook with me and I’ve got my cleats.”

“We got a YAC talk from (Rob) Gronk(owski). We got a pass game breakdown from (Travis) Kelce. He had run blocking from George (Kittle) too.

“We got to operate around a bunch of guys that I grew up watching like Greg Olsen — he is intense — and Travis Kelce. Watching them break down tape and seeing how they operate on the field was really, really cool.”

For LaPorta to even attend TEU in his first NFL season is promising enough. It shows he’s eager to learn and get better. But this was also not the first time he’s hitched his wagon with the league’s greatest tight ends. Earlier this offseason he trained with Kittle—a fellow Iowa alumni—and the rookie made a big impression.

“LaPorta is going to be fantastic,” Kittle said on the Pardon My Take podcast. “I think LaPorta’s the best tight end in the draft class. I think (the) Lions got a complete steal. I like the other tight ends too, but I spent two weeks training with Sam LaPorta, and the way he moves—oh yeah, he’s got the dog (in him). He’s kind of quirky, he’s kind of goofy, too. He’s going to fit in well.”

After a strong minicamp and OTA session in the spring, all aboard the Sam LaPorta Hype Train!