Seferian-Jenkins draws lofty comparisons from Bucs coaches Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer Saturday, August 8, 2015 9:48pm
Bucs tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins catches a touchdown last season against Minnesota, one of the rookies two scores (and by far the less controversial one). BRENDAN FITTERER | Times (2014)TAMPA — As comparisons go, Austin Seferian-Jenkins will admit, it was flattering. Also a little bonkers.New Bucs offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, who called plays for the Atlanta Falcons the past three seasons, was asked to give an assessment of the Bucs' second-year tight end last week after a training camp workout."I tell you, if Austin is healthy, he reminds me … I coached Tony Gonzalez at the end of his career," Koetter said. "Our tight ends coach, Jon Embree, had Tony in Kansas City. Austin's talented."Comparing any tight end to Gonzalez is like comparing a garage band to the Beatles or bragging about your 401(k) to Bill Gates."That's high praise to be (compared) to Tony Gonzalez," Seferian-Jenkins said. "That's really great. But that's the best player to ever play the position — ever —in the game. So I'm just going to worry about being the best version of me and we'll see how that goes this season and what people think about that."Gonzalez, who retired after 17 seasons in 2013, set NFL records for tight ends in career receptions (1,325), receiving yards (15,127) and touchdowns (111). Seferian-Jenkins, 22, played only nine games as a rookie last season and had 21 catches for 221 yards and two touchdowns. He missed two games with a high ankle sprain, suffered in the opener against Carolina, and the final month nursing a back injury after a wicked hit in Chicago.But his size (6 feet 5, 260 pounds), hands and potential are all Gonzalez-worthy. Seferian-Jenkins is actually faster."Athletically, he does some of the same things," said Embree, who coached Gonzalez in Kansas City after he had reached his 30s. "The thing that made Tony so great was his work ethic and him getting his technique down to the point where he didn't have to even think about it."Injuries aside, Seferian-Jenkins just needed to grow up. As a 21-year old rookie, he didn't know how to take care of his body, how to work or how to be a pro. But he watched receiver Vincent Jackson closely and saw how the veteran worked, took notes and attacked each day even after playing 11 seasons."I'm not perfect at it," Seferian-Jenkins said. "He's done it for 11 years. But I'm just trying to copy what he does and how he approaches the game, how he attacks the game and how professional he is about it."Embree said for athletes, there has to be a clicking moment. "Gonzalez told me for him it came in his second year in the league," Embree said. "They were booing him out of Kansas City because he couldn't hold onto the football. And just how that was kind of the impetus for him to make the change and become the player he became."For Seferian-Jenkins, the impetus might have come after what he did against Koetter's old team in a 27-17 loss to the Falcons in November. The second-round pick from Washington gave the Bucs a 17-16 fourth-quarter lead with a 1-yard touchdown catch.Then he struck his infamous Captain Morgan pose, the football planted beneath his left foot, drawing a 15-yard penalty for the celebration. As a result, the Falcons started their next possession at the 35-yard line, igniting a touchdown drive, and never looked back.After that game, quarterback Josh McCown fought to hold back tears. Seferian-Jenkins posted an Instagram photo of his penalized pose, saying, "everybody has a little captain in them…#Itsabucslife."In camp this year, Jameis Winston threads the needle in a tiny hole of the defense, between two defenders. Seferian-Jenkins snatches it out of the air as it whizzes past. A roar of approval comes from the crowd and with 20 more yards to cover, Seferian-Jenkins does not stop running until reaching the end zone. The two already have formed a close bond on and off the field. "Good dudes gravitate to each other," Seferian-Jenkins said.Seferian-Jenkins' presence will not only give an outlet to the Bucs' young quarterback, it might keep teams from stacking the box against running back Doug Martin. It would also help if Seferian-Jenkins develops into as good a blocker as he is a pass catcher. "It's about dominating," he said.In an interview several years ago with Sports Illustrated, Gonzalez talked about his struggles. Like Seferian-Jenkins, he was in his second pro season."Not there's anything wrong with sitting around and playing a bunch of golf, hitting the nightclubs," Gonzalez said. "I did that my first two years (in the NFL). But after a while, you just go numb. Keep the brain working, dude. If you're not careful, the NFL can make you stupid."
