‘23 TE Gabe Hoffman—Eastside Catholic HS
Devin: Hey Gabe, ready to get going?
Gabe: Yup lets do it
Devin: What does your normal day look like? Starting when you wake up.
Gabe: A normal day for me this summer starts around 5:00when I wake up. I go to FSP breakfast club to lift and get field work in. After that, I get home to refuel and recover. Then, I chill and watch film from practice. After that, I head off to practice at around 1:30. When practice ends I try to get in some extra work by either running routes with my QB. In the evening I usually eat a good dinner with my family then try to get in some mobility/stretching before I hit the rack.
Devin: That’s awesome. When you say you get field work in, what do you mean by that? What type of workouts/drills do you do?
Gabe: At FSP, our field work consists of a lot of speed, agility, and mobility work. This could vary from sprint mechanics, do cone drills/routes, to hurdle hip mobility for example.
Devin: That’s great! Always working and grinding harder each day. For the people who aren’t sure what FSP is, could you explain what it is a little bit more in depth?
Gabe: FSP seems like an amazing group of people, as you know I’m from WA and they are always doing great things. What kind of environment does FSP have to you? What is it like playing for the 7v7 team?
Devin: FSP seems like an amazing group of people, as you know I’m from WA and they are always doing great things. What kind of environment does FSP have to you? What is it like playing for the 7v7 team?
Gabe: The environment at FSP is different because you are training and going against other good players so their is bound to be some competition. The iron sharpens iron mentality is what makes it great. To add on their are many trainers with NFL experience which is extremely beneficial for me to learn from them.
Devin: Competition is always good! Competing against the best in the area and training with people with NFL experience is very awesome! Definitely will benefit you in the long run. You have a ton of time to keep growing and getting better. Going back to when you mentioned watching film, who’s film are you usually watching? Do you model your game after anyone in particular?
Gabe: I'm usually studying my film from practice and games to see what I can do better. However, recently I have started to study tight ends Drew Sample from the Bengals and Hunter Henry from the Patriots. Also, on the defensive end I have studied JJ Watt. I would say I try to be like all of these players.
Devin: That’s great, those are great guys to study. What do you think are your strengths as a player? On both sides of the ball.
Gabe: On the offensive side at tight end, I'm a versatile player who can block at the 2nd level and inline in the run game. Also, I'm good in the passing game especially for 1st and 2nd level passes. The on defense, I have a good combination of strength and speed at defensive end to rush quarterbacks and contain the edge of a defensive.
Devin: I would definitely agree, watched your film and you are a GREAT blocker! Hands always in the right place and in the pass game is where I think you are more deadly, you have an amazing catch radius and great hands my man. On defense you are definitely very fast and effective off the line. What do you feel are your weaknesses? On both sides of the ball
Gabe: I think on offense my weakness while blocking is foot placement. While in the passing game is it getting in and out of breaks in route running and speed. On defense it is reading run or pass. But in general, staying lower will help me tremendously. However, these are what I'm specifically working on this summer so I can become better for my upcoming Junior season.
Devin: It’s good that you know what to work on and what you need to do to improve. Your junior year is going to be big! Everyone will start to notice and you will show them what you can do on the field. What motivates you to keep grinding and working harder?
Gabe: Honestly for me it is just wanting to turn my dreams into a reality, and to set myself and my future family up for a good life.
Devin: That’s great to hear. You’re an amazing young man Gabe! I know you will be able to achieve anything you want if you keep working at this rate. I know you haven’t been able to be in contact with schools, but what are some schools that interest you?
Gabe: The schools that really interest me are the University of Washington because my dad and uncles played there. Also, Stanford, Utah, and Arizona for how they use their tight ends. Then, Boise State, Eastern Washington, and Portland State are schools I've learned about that are great. However, these are just a few of the schools I'm interested in.
Devin: Those are all great schools, always have to keep the options open as well. Your play will earn you visits to schools/offers. When do you start working again with your HS team and doing workouts? How did you guys preform last season? What are you expecting next season?
Gabe: My high school team has already started workouts and practice which started 2 weeks ago. Which has been a lot of fun so far, but we still have a long way to go to get where we want to be. Last season our season didn't go how we wanted to losing to O'dea in the metro semifinals. We struggled a lot with injuries last year, but on the bright side a lot of younger players got to prove themselves. For this upcoming season, we don't have quite as much talent as last year but we are starting to build a great culture and people are starting to buy in.
Devin: That’s still a great season! Younger players getting more playing time is always good, you guys will continue to keep getting better. I’m excited to stay tuned to your season and your team. Maybe I could come catch a game and watch you play, I’m not too far away. One last question before I let you go, what type of player is a school getting, if they land you in the future?
Gabe: They are getting a handworker in all aspects of life. On the field and in the classroom. Someone who wants to make the team better through leading by example. Thank you so much for your time Devin, it was fun answering the questions!
Devin: You’re an amazing young man, I can’t wait to see all the great things you do! Thank you for taking the time to talk to me Gabe! Hope we can stay in touch and maybe do this again right before your season starts and maybe during it as well! Have a great night, Gabe!
Check out Gabe below!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gabehoffmann?s=21
Film: https://www.hudl.com/profile/12851840/Gabe-Hoffmann
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