Gesicki To Penn State About More Than Xs and Os

STAFFORD -- The full-court press to land Mike Gesicki was in effect this week.

After returning from an official visit to Penn State last weekend where he witnessed the Nittany Lions hand No. 16 Michigan its first loss in an epic 43-40 quadruple overtime game, Gesicki was getting hit from all angles.

The Southern Regional wide receiver, who is rated as the No. 1 tight end recruit in the country, was getting bombarded on social media from fans and school representatives trying to persuade him to join their football programs. Ohio State fans tweeted him to become a Buckeye. The Rutgers University dance team tweeted him to show their desire to see him stay in New Jersey. On Monday morning he walked outside to his truck to leave for school, only to see "We Are Penn State" written on his windshield.

Just a few days later, the wild ride of being recruited had reached its end.

“I knew by the time I went to bed Wednesday,” Gesicki said. “And when I woke up I knew I had made the right decision.”

Gesicki finally made his decision Thursday, announcing on Twitter that he had made a non-binding verbal commitment to attend Penn State. It came down to the Nittany Lions versus Ohio State. From the outside, it seemed Urban Meyer and his wide-open offense - and his 18-0 record as Buckeyes head coach - were the best fit for Gesicki and his coveted talents.

“It was like comparing apples to apples (between Penn State and Ohio State),” said Gesicki when he spoke to reporters on Friday. “There wasn’t a deciding factor I can put my finger on. I just followed my gut and my heart.”

Gesicki had made his decision Wednesday night, but held off until Thursday evening to make his plans known. He arrived home from football practice around 5:30 and texted his dad, Mike Sr., a commercial pilot who was on a trip in Brazil.

“I told him to book that trip to Ireland because I’m going to Penn State,” Gesicki said, referencing Penn State’s 2014 opener against Central Florida in Dublin.

After he shared the news with the rest of his family, he called Urban Meyer.

“Making that phone call was almost as hard as making the decision,” Gesicki said. “But he was so understanding. He wanted to know why I didn’t chose Ohio State, but he didn’t try to talk me out of it. I told him I had to follow my gut, and he understood.”

After giving Meyer the bad news, he phoned Penn State head coach Bill O’Brien for the good news.

“I told him I had just got off the phone with Urban Meyer and told him, ‘Thanks for the opportunity, but no thank you. I just want to let you know I’m going to Penn State,’” Gesicki recalled. “He was yelling through the phone and hooting and hollering. It was a little loud in the ear, but it was a great moment.”

O’Brien is looking to add offensive weapons to surround freshman quarterback Christian Hackenberg, who was a prized recruit last season and currently leads the Big 10 in passing yards per game. Gesicki is a huge recruit for Penn State to land, so it’s easy to see why O’Brien was so fired up. The relationship Hackenberg and Gesicki developed during the latter’s visit also went a long way toward steering the 6-foot-5, 230-pound playmaker to Happy Valley.

“I only spoke to him briefly before going out to the game, but I obviously knew of him because of his role at Penn State with being so young and being so successful,” Gesicki said. “He’s a phenomenal quarterback, but the person he is is much better. He’s a great guy to be around, and he made me feel at home for the short amount of time I was there. That’s what kind of drew me to him and won me over.”

Those moments where he spent time with Penn State’s players away from football were as important as anything else the Nittany Lions did to recruit him. Even though he witnessed a classic game during his official visit, he tried to keep the result from influencing his decision.

“The actual game itself played zero role in me going to Penn State,” Gesicki said. “It was a great game, but it had nothing to do with it. After the game, the actual visit, being around Hackenberg and the guys, that’s what won me over. I felt so comfortable, and I felt like I could call that place home for the next four or five years.”

Of all the current players on Penn State’s roster, it seems obvious the one to potentially sway Gesicki’s decision would be former Southern star Glenn Carson, who is one of Penn State’s starting linebackers. Having Carson on the team probably helped, but he didn’t hound Gesicki to join him.

“I’ve talked to him about it in the past, but recently, maybe one phone call,” Gesicki said. “Glenn has gone through this process and he knows everybody wants to get in your ear and persuade you this way or that way. Him going through it before, he wanted me to make my own decision.”

The biggest hurdle for Penn State in its recruiting process these days is the sanctions it has incurred as a result of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. With reduced scholarships and a ban on playing in bowl games currently in effect, the Nittany Lions are behind the eight ball. It’s an easy tactic for an opposing coach or recruiting coordinator to point out that a player who chooses Penn State is limiting himself. Gesicki didn’t see it that way.

“Obviously everyone wants to play in a bowl game, win a national championship, play on the big stage, but ultimately I can achieve my goals and do the things I want to do without playing in those games,” Gesicki said. “Eventually Penn State will go to a bowl game. I was never worried about the sanctions or anything like that. I looked at all the aspects of it I could control.”

O’Brien has still been able to convince top recruits like Hackenberg and former Red Bank Regional star defensive end Garrett Sickels, a current freshman, to come to Penn State despite those setbacks. After the sanctions were handed down and players were allowed to leave for another school without penalty, only a handful transferred. The players that are there truly want to play at Penn State and for O’Brien, and they’ve rallied around that.

“If you’re joining Penn State at this time you’re part of a team that’s on the way up,” Gesicki said. “We’re taking it back from all the negatives surrounding this program. It’s a great time to hop on the train and be a part of it. The guys there are very committed, and it shows the character of the guys that are at Penn State.”

When Southern (2-2, 1-2) takes on Lacey (5-0, 3-0) at 1 p.m. Saturday in an important Shore Conference Class A South game, Gesicki can take the field with a lot less weight on his mind. Gesicki embraced the recruiting process from the beginning, but admitted it was a grind at times.

“I was just relieved to know where I’m going to school, where I’m playing, who is going to be my coach,” Gesicki said.

At the same time, he cherished his recruitment. He had 22 FBS offers and traveled around the country to find the best possible fit. He made sure he soaked in an opportunity only a small percentage of athletes ever get.

“It’s a great feeling to know you’re wanted by such great coaches and universities,” Gesicki said. “The people I’ve met through this process - Urban Meyer, Bill O’Brien, Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski when I went down there, coach Cut (Duke head football coach David Cutcliffe, who coached Peyton Manning at Tennessee and Eli Manning at Ole Miss), is amazing. The people I met and the experiences I had made me a much better person.

“It was a little stressful at the end, but it was awesome.”