George Kittle Revolutionizes the Tight End Position with TEU
Tight End University (TEU) went viral over the summer after pop star Taylor Swift had a guest performance at the Tight Ends and Friends event. However, tight ends George Kittle, Travis Kelce, and Greg Olsen have been hosting TEU since 2021, with the hope of bringing the tight end community closer together.
TEU is a multi-day training program for NFL tight ends held every summer in Nashville, Tennessee. All NFL tight ends, from All-Pros to practice squad players, are encouraged to get to know, collaborate, and learn alongside their peers. Retired NFL tight ends are also invited to participate and share advice. Activities throughout the program include film study, on-field drills, recovery, and rehabilitation.
Off the field, TEU also aims to give back to the community. Despite the program being mostly private, it helps raise money for various organizations through its sponsors. After TEU comes to a close, all proceeds are donated to charities chosen by Kittle, Kelce, and Olsen.
The trio of TEU hosts have revolutionized their position. Through TEU, they have brought more fan attention to the tight end position and helped NFL tight ends develop their game with the help of their peers. By creating a place for tight ends to bond and share their experiences, the program has strengthened the skills of every tight end in attendance.
Since Kittle, Kelce, and Olsen first hosted TEU in 2021, the program has grown astronomically. This summer, ESPN’s studio show NFL Live, was broadcast live from Vanderbilt University. ESPN analysts Dan Orlovsky and Laura Rutledge joined the tight ends to share fun memories and important takeaways from the program. TEU also added a golf tournament for its 75 participants.
TEU has expanded beyond players and embraced the NFL wives and girlfriends (WAGs) community. NFL tight ends were encouraged to bring significant others to TEU so that they could socialize and bond with other members of the football WAG community. Around 40 tight ends brought their significant others to the program in June, where they enjoyed organized brunches, curated shopping experiences, and a mobile medical spa.
As TEU continues to grow, more NFL fans start to gravitate toward tight ends, and players at the position continue to gain popularity. With the recent heightened success of the program, Front Office Sports predicts that TEU might hit the road next year. While the NFL season is underway, there is less attention on offseason whereabots, but fans are excited about the idea of TEU traveling outside of Nashville.