Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz has revealed that he has been getting tips from Tony Gonzalez as he prepares for the 2015 NFL season.
The former Atlanta Falcons tight end retired at the end of the 2013 campaign after 17 seasons in the league, in which he earned 14 Pro Bowl appearances and became the first tight end to make 1,000 receptions in the NFL.
The 24-year-old, who is going into his third season, told the team's website: "I got his number from one of our tight end coaches, he played with Tony when they were in Atlanta together, and I just cold texted him. It was a no-lose situation for me. If he said 'no', then I would have respectfully understood.
"He said yes. So I drove to see him. The funny thing was that I wasn't nervous about meeting him at all. He was such a genuine person on the text message that it made it seem like it was something that he would love to do. He actually was fired up about it. It wasn't like going to meet an idol, which he truly is of mine. It was just going to meet a friend.
"We talked about little things, the nuances of how to run a certain route, what's advantageous against certain coverages, that sort of thing. He also talked about the importance of having a routine. He had a routine of greatness that he would do every day. He felt it gave him the edge over the competition in the long run."
Ertz recorded 702 receiving yards and scored three touchdowns during the 2014 season.
Sian Cowper
