NASHVILLE – Titans tight end Anthony Firkser works daily to be the best player he can be.
This week, Firkser will be surrounded by the best tight ends in the game during George Kittle's Tight End University (TE U), a three-day retreat in Nashville.
And Firkser is excited about the opportunity it should provide.
"When George Kittle reached out to me on social media and invited me to the camp, I was super excited," Firkser said. "Just to be a part of something like that, to be around some of the top tight ends in the league right now, it is going to be an awesome opportunity and experience to learn from them.
"It's just a great opportunity to help myself reach my full potential."
Kittle, a star with the San Francisco 49ers who is regarded as one of the NFL's best tight ends, helped create the gathering so his fellow NFL tight ends have an opportunity to hone their craft while bonding with one another. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and former Bears and Panthers tight end Greg Olsen are also involved in conducting TEU.
Roughly 45-50 NFL tight ends are scheduled to attend the event, which is in Nashville because that's where Kittle and his wife reside in the offseason.
In addition to Kittle, Kelce, Olsen and Firkser, the list of attendees reportedly includes Darren Waller, Mark Andrews, Zach Ertz, Evan Engram, Noah Fant, Austin Hooper, Kyle Rudolph, Cole Kmet, Mike Gesicki, Jonnu Smith, Logan Thomas, Marcedes Lewis, Tyler Higbee, Eric Ebron, Kyle Pitts, Dallas Goedert, David Njoku, Kaden Smith, Irv Smith Jr, Hunter Henry, Chris Herndon, Hayden Hurst, Dalton Schultz, Chris Manhertz, Colby Parkinson, Blake Bell, Ross Dwelley, Dominique Dafney, Robert Tonyan, T.J. Hockenson, Charlie Woerner, Daniel Helm, Dawson Knox, Will Dissly, Luke Stocker, C.J. Uzomah, Alex Ellis, Eli Wolf and Ethan Wolf.
Firkser said he's trained with Kittle in the past in Nashville, and watched him work.
Heading into his fourth season with the Titans, Firkser caught 39 passes for 387 yards and a touchdown in 2020. He's in line to play a bigger role for the Titans in 2021.
"You can learn a lot from watching other guys, and how they do things," Firkser said. "I've been fortunate because I've had the opportunity to watch and learn from guys like Delanie (Walker) and Jonnu (Smith) during my time here. Having a chance to be around some of the top tight ends in the league right now (at Tight End University), it is going to great."
