NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. — The grey shed that sits behind the two-story Colonial house contains firewood, patio furniture and assorted athletic equipment. Years ago, before a “Steelers Country” banner hung from its flagpole, the storage unit also served as a theater of dreams for Pat Freiermuth.
The Steelers' future tight end was incapable of sitting through an entire televised game watched by the rest of his family. At some point during a telecast, the youngster dashed to the shed like a superhero answering a Batsignal only he could see. Once inside, Freiermuth changed into football, baseball, basketball or lacrosse gear that was kept in two lockers bearing the Patriots’ logo.
It wasn’t enough to act out the great plays he had witnessed on television in his backyard or on the basketball court his father, John, had built for the three kids. Freiermuth’s sports fantasies required authenticity. Pregame hype music blared from a radio. There were halftime tunes as well for when he retreated to the shed for second-half adjustments relayed from imaginary coaches.
Dianne Freiermuth laughs at the memory of it all. When asked about the one-handed touchdown catch Freiermuth made against Ohio State in his freshman season at Penn State — the one that put him on the path to the 2021 NFL Draft — her mind wanders to more innocent times.
FREIERMUTH FAMILY .
“It was cool, but he’s made that same catch a million times,” she said Tuesday night. “He would play those types of games in his head. He would play with his older brother and sometimes he would have friends over, but for the most part he would play alone. He’d come out all dressed up in a uniform, and then he would start playing. He had such an imagination.”
A tale like Freiermuth’s needed a fervent imagination because visions of major-college and NFL glory aren’t practical here in the New England hamlets. Accomplished athletes in these parts usually grow up to shoot pucks, kick soccer balls and row boats in Olympic trials. Most great football players are bred in the Midwest, South and along the West Coast.
Freiermuth attracted recruiters from all over the country playing on a woodsy campus at a private school best known for producing actors, conservationists, publishers and captains of industry. His high school stadium doesn’t even have metal or wooden bleachers. Fans stand or sit on three tiers of a grassy embankment on one side of the field.
“When Pat became a national recruit there were some college coaches who didn’t even understand what boarding schools are,” Brooks School football coach Pat Foley said. “I think there’s the perception sometimes — and not in this part of the country — that ‘What did he do wrong to get sent to boarding school?’ ”
If you scripted a story for the development of the Steelers’ newest red-zone weapon, one chosen No. 55 overall in the draft, it would take a creative mind to author something so unique. In this case, it necessitated a young boy with big dreams in his family’s backyard shed.
“To this day, Pat still has a great imagination,” his mother said.
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FREIERMUTH FAMILY
Pat Freiermuth, center, with his parents, John and Dianne.
Freiermuth stands 6 feet 5, weighs 250 pounds and looks very much like a prototypical NFL tight end. He owes his athletic build to some trash talk exchanged at a New Hampshire seafood restaurant 30 years ago.
Dianne Foley, a 5-foot-9 former prep field hockey player, was working as a waitress to help pay her way through Merrimack College. She spotted the newly-hired waiter, John Freiermuth, a 6-foot-3 basketball player from St. Anselm College, from across the room and thought he looked familiar.
“Dianne says to me, ‘I remember two years ago when you choked the game-winning shot at Merrimack,’ ” John recalled. “I’m like, ‘wow, she doesn’t even know me and she’s already talking trash.’ I thought that was pretty cool.”
A passion for college sports created an immediate bond between John and Dianne. They began dating, eventually married and moved to North Andover, where both became American history and government teachers at the public school.
John helped coach basketball. Dianne became such a successful field hockey coach that she was inducted into North Andover High’s hall of fame. All three of their children, Tim, 25, Pat, 22, and Megan, 17, are good athletes. It became clear, however, Pat had abilities that made him a serious college prospect. He was not just talented, but driven. His older brother, who’s now a prep football coach, taught him the importance of weight training and conditioning.
Freiermuth excelled on the gridiron and the basketball court, where he led Pentucket Regional High to a final-four berth in the state hoops tournament as a sophomore.
“Pat is terrific kid to start with and he’s got a great work ethic,” Pentucket football coach Steve Hayden said. “He played tight end and linebacker for us as a freshman and, when our quarterback got hurt the next year, Pat was athletic enough to fill in. There’s not much he can’t do.”
Following his sophomore year, the Freiermuths wrestled with a difficult decision. Their youngest son needed a bigger challenge athletically and more discipline in his studies. Two years earlier, Dianne’s cousin, Pat Foley, became the football coach and associate director of admission at Brooks School, a private institution founded in 1926 that enrolls 360 students.
Here’s where our little New England narrative grows more surreal. Pat Foley is the godfather of Pat Freiermuth. In fact, the Steelers’ tight end is named after him. But sharing the same bloodlines didn’t land Pat Foley one of the best Massachusetts’ prep prospects in years. The coach had turned around a Brooks program that had gone 1-23 in the three seasons prior to his 2013 arrival. The school also boasted an exceptional basketball team and a top-notch academic curriculum.
“It was a hard decision for us and it wasn’t easy for our son Pat, either,” Dianne said. “We’re both public-school teachers. Our oldest son graduated from the public school and our daughter goes there now. It’s just that Pat was a very good athlete and we weren’t sure how much more he would grow in that setting. And as a student, a lot of boys tend to be less mature academically and we thought he would he benefit from an extra year in high school.”
Such transfers often create hard feelings and controversy. Not in this story. Hayden remains close to the Freiermuth family. He hired Tim as assistant football coach last season, and the coach was invited to Freiermuth’s day-after draft party.
“I hated to lose Pat because he was not only a great athlete, but he got other kids into the weight room to work out,” Hayden said. “He’s not the first great athlete I lost to private schools. Ever heard of (WWE superstar) Jon Cena? He played football for me, too. With Pat, I understood the family’s decision. Brooks has great academics and a really good basketball program. I was OK with their decision.”
Private prep schools in New England often ask prospective students to attend their institutions for at least three years, which meant Freiermuth had to repeat 10th grade at Brooks.
Even with the extra year of eligibility, evolving into a major-college football recruit would not be easy given the region’s notorious track record.
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PAT FOLEY
Pat Freiermuth and his Brooks School football coach Pat Foley.
At his introductory Steelers’ news conference, Freiermuth made one point abundantly clear: He wanted the nickname “Baby Gronk” to die a quick death.
Among a fan base that loathes the Patriots and Tom Brady, he scored additional points by telling the team’s website that he believes fellow Penn State alum and former Steelers tight end Jesse James caught the 2017 touchdown pass that replay officials famously overturned.
“I hate it,” Freiermuth said of the “Baby Gronk” moniker, which is in reference to standout NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski. “It’s pretty annoying. I’m trying to get away from it.”
But he loved Gronkowski and the Patriots as a kid, and who could blame him? Growing up in New England the past 20 years is akin to growing up in Pittsburgh in the 70s. It was all sunshine and Super Bowl parades.
While the dynastic Patriots created a new generation of fans, all their heroes were from someplace else. New England is one of the most under-recruited parts of the country. And if you can’t get to big-time college programs, the odds of making it to the NFL are longer than a third-and-10.
Last season, 71 active NFL players hailed from Pennsylvania high schools — 11th most in the nation. The combined New England region (Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, New Hampshire) had 25.
When a major-college recruiter attends a big game between rival Florida prep schools, there might be 10 potential prospects on the field. Among the 11 active NFL players last season from Massachusetts, none went to the same high school.
Fortunes are improving, however, in part because of college coaches and assistants with New England roots. Former Michigan defensive coordinator and Massachusetts native Don Brown helped open a regional pipeline for the Wolverines. Ohio State head coach and New Hampshire native Ryan Day came to Brooks School to recruit Freiermuth.
“The last few years, we are definitely seeing more college recruits,” said Pat Foley, who grew up in a region with only one BCS football program, Boston College. “It’s an encouraging sign.”
Foley’s father, Mike, is a longtime college coach in the area with stops at Dartmouth, Holy Cross, Colgate, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Harvard. Mike Foley was the first coach to offer his nephew a scholarship at UMass. The recruiting pitch is part of family legend.
“He kind of said to him, ‘As a coach, I’d love for you to come to UMass, obviously, but as your uncle, I’d just sit back and wait,’ ” Pat Folely recalled.
Freiermuth was an outstanding outside linebacker, who forced opposing coaches to call plays that ran to the other side of the field. On offense, Foley said Freiermuth was a “devastating blocker,” who possessed sure hands and an outrageous catching radius.
Brooks School only plays eight games a season and is primarily a run-first offense. Translation: Freiermuth’s statistics (548 receiving yards and seven touchdowns as a senior) didn’t leap off the page. But as word of mouth and highlight packages spread through the recruiting world, he became a top tight-end prospect.
“Pat would be double-covered by a couple of dudes, but it didn’t matter — I was throwing it to him,” said former Brooks quarterback Seamus Lambert. “He made the game easy and fun for me. He has that massive body and any 50-50 ball in the red zone became 95-5 when he was the target.”
The idyllic Brooks campus, located along the banks of the Lake Cochichewick, provides a culture shock for some recruiters used to packed high-school bleachers on frenetic Friday nights. Freiermuth’s teams played on Saturday afternoons. They moved from a grass field to a stadium that had artificial turf to accommodate the girl’s field hockey squad.
TOM REED / DKPS
Fans attending Brooks School football games must sit or stand on a grassy embankment on one side of the field.
Freiermuth could have played on a sand volleyball court and still impressed college coaches. He committed to Penn State as a junior because he liked the coaching staff and wanted to play for a big-time program — one close enough to home that his parents could attend games. Penn State is among the Power Five programs who are recruiting the region. The Nittany Lions have three players on this year’s roster from New England.
It took only a matter of weeks for Freiermuth to prove a kid from a small Massachusetts boarding school could play in the Big Ten. He caught 26 passes for 368 yards and eight TDs as a true freshman.
It was nothing his parents hadn’t seen in the backyard.
“He’s not intimidated by anything,” his father said. “We were freaking out. He was very cool and very calm. I don’t know where he gets it from, but he’s not scared of the big stage.”
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The Steelers historically have required tight ends to be willing blockers in their offensive schemes. In his first interviews with Pittsburgh media, Freiermuth was asked about the challenge.
After all, he’s primarily known as a pass catcher, one who owns the Penn State record for 16 career touchdowns by a tight end. In his three seasons in Happy Valley, he never dropped a ball in the red zone, according to Pro Football Focus research.
“I’m a versatile tight end,” Freiermuth said. “I have always been a team-first guy.”
Brooks School basketball coach, John McVeigh, wants to assure the Steelers’ coaches and fans that Freiermuth isn’t just telling them what they want to hear.
He went from being the LeBron James of Pentucket High to a backup forward in his first season at Brooks School.
McVeigh’s program is a juggernaut among New England private schools, and the coach was eager to see how Freiermuth would adjust to his new role on a squad that featured nine future college recruits. Unlike football, the region’s hoops scene routinely sends kids to major-college programs and some, like Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, achieve NBA stardom.
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JOHN McVEIGH
Pat Freiermuth helped the Brooks School basketball team to a 78-game winning streak over three seasons.
“Pat went from being ‘the guy’ to being a talented player who came off the bench for us,” McVeigh said. “What I admired most about him was how ego free he was. He’s the most ego-free star athlete I’ve ever met. He wasn’t worried about getting his points or starting. He just loved to compete and to be part of a winning team. He did everything you asked as a coach.”
It didn’t take long, however, for Freiermuth to evolve into a significant player on a club that won 78 consecutive games and three New England private school titles. His jumping ability and aggressiveness enabled him to grab scores of rebounds and loose balls.
By his junior season, an ESPN basketball recruiting analyst approached McVeigh and asked why Freiermuth wasn’t listed on any of his blue-chip lists.
“I just smiled and said, ‘I think you are looking on the wrong lists — look at your football lists,’” McVeigh recalled. “From the very first practice, you could tell the kid was special and one thing that made him that way was he didn’t mind waiting his turn ... Pittsburgh is going to love him.”
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GETTY
Penn State's Pat Freiermuth warms up before the game against the Maryland Terrapins at Beaver Stadium on November 7, 2020.
Freiermuth played just four games last season at Penn State before a shoulder injury required him to undergo surgery. But if not for his mother, he might not have played at all, and who knows how that would have impacted his draft status.
Big Ten school officials voted to cancel the season Aug. 11 due to COVID-19 concerns. As president of the Penn State Football Parents Association, Dianne wanted answers to difficult questions. She published a letter advocating for a return to play while expressing confidence that it would be safe to do it. She also networked with parents from other Big Ten schools and they began to coordinate their efforts.
“The parents of all of the Big Ten teams shared the same sentiments,” Dianne said. “We were unhappy with the cancellation after a revised schedule came out just a week before. The players wanted the opportunity to play if possible. Pat and all of the players were very thankful. He as well as most of his draft-eligible teammates wanted to play for Penn State one more time. They love that university, the football program and coach (James) Franklin.”
Parental pressure coupled with a breakthrough in rapid coronavirus testing helped convince conference officials to reverse their course. Freiermuth caught 23 passes for 310 yards in four games. He also earned high marks for playing through pain seeing as he injured his shoulder in the second game against Ohio State and wore a cumbersome harness in his final two appearances.
“I owe that university more than it owes me,” said Freiermuth, who’s back to full strength. “ . . . I never thought about opting out (of the season).”
FREIERMUTH FAMILY
The shed where Pat Freiermuth dressed for his backyard games now has a Steelers flag hanging from it.
Freiermuth spent draft night at his home surrounded by a small circle of family members. It was an historic occasion for fans of New England prep football tired of being overlooked by the rest of the nation. After the Steelers selected Freiermuth in the second round, the Dolphins picked Boston College tight end Hunter Long, of Exeter, NH.,and Deerfield Academy, in the third round.
“So you’re saying we are little Ivy Leaguers, is that what you are saying?” Dianne said when asked about the region’s reputation for developing athletes in sports like field hockey, lacrosse and rowing. “There aren’t as many elite football players in this area, but now more than ever they are getting noticed. . . . I think you will see more.”
After her son answered the call from coach Mike Tomlin, Dianne couldn’t help but think about those fall afternoons from yesteryear when Freiermuth was alone in his childhood fantasies catching passes he threw to himself.
“That’s where he learned to make those plays,” she said.
Mom can still see the shed from the windows in the back of their house. The little Patriots lockers are gone. The “Steelers Country” flag is the only sign of NFL family allegiance.
