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ULM Spring Football Spotlight: Tight Ends

ULM Spring Football Spotlight: Tight Ends

Football Mar 28
By Paul Letlow, ULMWarhawks.com Online Columnist
 
MONROE, La. – Of course, ULM tight ends love catching as many passes as you want to throw them. 

But there's more to playing the position than just reeling in receptions. 

"We like doing the little things right," junior Tyler Lamm said. "We take a lot of ownership in that, especially when there's a pass play to us. We definitely want to go make the play. When we have outside zone, we like getting in space and getting on linebackers and safeties. It's fun."

No doubt, the tight ends are an important cog in ULM"s offense. As different tight ends missed time for assorted reasons last year, it threw a wrench into the offense and had a ripple effect on the running game. With five tight ends on the roster, ULM still found itself down to one during some weeks last year. 

"When it got thin last year, it just came down to mental toughness," junior Josh Pederson said. "If it was put on me or put on Tyler, we knew it was going to be up to us all four quarters. We had to go in and be mentally tough."

Said head coach Matt Viator: "It affects the way that you practice too. When you're down to one or two guys, you can't just play every play. In game-planning, we couldn't do as much two-tight end stuff that we'd done the previous few years."

As ULM goes through spring football practice, the tight ends are embracing their diverse role while learning from a familiar new assistant. First-year tight ends coach Tyler Bolfing is a former ULM graduate assistant and ex-McNeese State quarterback, who played for Viator.

"I'm very blessed and honored that Coach V would bring me back to be the tight ends coach," Bolfing said. "I had a fun two years here prior and I'm glad I get to come back."

Last season, Bolfing served as tight ends coach at his alma mater McNeese State, where he played from 2012-14. He spent two seasons at ULM as a GA prior to that. 

"It's awesome to have him back," Pederson said. "He brings that young coach's energy. He's teaching us a lot, and he's really smart. He's helping my game a lot."         

Bolfing inherits a foursome loaded with potential in Pederson (6-5, 227, Jr.), Lamm (6-4, 243, Jr.), Cameron Darling (6-5, 257, So.) and newcomer Donavon Hickman (6-3, 235, Jr.). However, injuries and illness hindered the overall contributions from tight ends last year as they accounted for just 31 receptions for 280 yards and three touchdowns. 

"Hopefully, Josh can come back healthy and stay healthy," Viator said. "He's really talented. Lamm was hurt earlier in his career and came on last year and did some good things. Cam Darling was hurt last year, but he's back. And right now, we're impressed with Donavon Hickman, so we've got four guys that we feel good about. All four guys are playing with the ones at times."   

The physical nature of the position can take its toll, so Bolfing stresses working on flexibility and strength to ward off injury when possible. 
  
"I'm always talking to them about taking care of their bodies," Bolfing said. "Work like a pro. Work like a champion every day. Get into treatments when you need to and take care of your body. They've done a good job of that so far, and they've been healthy so far." 

A lingering illness kept Pederson from going through preseason camp in 2018 and delayed the start to his season. He still led the tight ends with 12 catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns. 

"Josh is very special and gifted athletically in the passing game," Bolfing said. "What he's done the past couple of years is, he's bought into the run game. He wants to be physical and he's getting better and better at it. Because he's so athletic, he can get his body into good position and make blocks the way that we want him too."

Pederson, a member of Viator's first recruiting class, is bouncing around the practice field with a renewed vigor this spring. 
 
"Obviously, I'm healthy again and I'm back in the lineup," Pederson said. "We're the vets now and it's our time to lead. It's our time to take over."

Lamm appeared in 10 games and made five catches for 40 yards. 

"The other guys have done a good job in the passing game as well," Bolfing said. "Obviously, Tyler and Cam Darling give you very big bodies at 6-4, 6-5, and 240 apiece. 

To replenish the depth and help replace departed senior Sloan Spillers (14 catches, 119 yards, TD), ULM signed Hickman from Pearl River Community College. 

"Donavon is coming along, and he's athletic," Bolfing said. "He's playing a little slow right now because he's learning the playbook. But when he starts playing fast because he understands the playbook, I think we've got a group that can really help in the run and pass game."   

Although he's a former wide receiver, Hickman has adapted to tight end and exhibits the potential to become one of the most effective blockers in the group. 

"The thing Donavon has is, he likes to put his facemask on your facemask," Bolfing said. "He's very physical. He may not know what he's doing all the time, but he's 100 miles per hour all the time. He's physical and plays through the whistle. He's a guy you've got to say, 'Whoa!' You'd rather say 'Whoa' than 'Go.' He brings really good energy in the run game because of his physicality." 

Said Pederson: "They wanted a bigger, meaner guy. We got him, thankfully. He's physical in the run game, and we're teaching him the playbook. He's coming along good."

Tight ends have to be adept at many different facets of the game, but still there's nothing like hauling in those passes. And so far in spring drills, the tight ends have seen a few balls come their way. 

"My mom is always wondering why they don't throw the tight ends the ball more," Pederson said with a laugh. "That's what I tell our QBs. 'Hey, we're big targets. Just hit us.' But this year, it's looking that way. We're getting the ball a lot more, so it's a lot of fun." 

"Everybody looks good and feels good," Lamm said. "We bring a lot of energy to practice. I feel like they feed off of us."


This positional spotlight is part of a continuing spring series you can find at ULMWarhawks.com.  
 
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