Former NFL prospect Blick finds home on ESU sidelines
Larry V. Santana
Issue date: 10/30/03 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 2 next >
After suffering a career-ending knee injury, John Blick, former NFL prospect and four year starter on the Penn State Nittany Lion offensive line, has shifted his area of athletic focus from player to coach, currently serving as an assistant for the East Stroudsburg University Warriors football team.
No longer playing in front of 100,000 screaming fans on Saturday afternoons at Beaver Stadium or braving the daily grind of NFL training camps both in Europe and in the states, Blick is now watching from the sidelines as a coach. "I still feel more like a player than a coach," said Blick.
"The hardest part is realizing that I'm not one of the guys anymore, but I'm ready to share my knowledge of the game with these younger guys."
A graduate student at the university, Blick says he has approached his first season with the Warriors as a sort-of experiment in determining his future level of involvement as a football coach.
"I'm enjoying myself, and I think we have a great group of guys. I just want to see how this year goes and figure out if being a college coach is the right fit for me," he said. "I definitely want to be a football coach, but I'm still not sure at what level."
Formerly playing for a Division I powerhouse, the Pleasant Valley product's unique athletic background offers a fresh perspective for the Warrior collective. Much younger than most of the East Stroudsburg University (ESU) coaching staff, Blick says he is able to relate to players on a more personal level by promoting a feeling of comfort that benefits both the player's comprehension of what is being taught, as well as the psyche of the man chosen to dispense such knowledge.
"I've already been through what the guys on the team are going through," Blick said. "It's only been a few years since I was playing college ball myself, so I think the guys look at me as someone they can relate to really well."
For Blick, the opportunity to reestablish his niche in football as a coach has helped him to start anew amidst a series of hardships and injury-ridden seasons. After suffering an MCL tear that flat-lined all hope for a professional career, Blick fell on some hard times.
No longer playing in front of 100,000 screaming fans on Saturday afternoons at Beaver Stadium or braving the daily grind of NFL training camps both in Europe and in the states, Blick is now watching from the sidelines as a coach. "I still feel more like a player than a coach," said Blick.
"The hardest part is realizing that I'm not one of the guys anymore, but I'm ready to share my knowledge of the game with these younger guys."
A graduate student at the university, Blick says he has approached his first season with the Warriors as a sort-of experiment in determining his future level of involvement as a football coach.
"I'm enjoying myself, and I think we have a great group of guys. I just want to see how this year goes and figure out if being a college coach is the right fit for me," he said. "I definitely want to be a football coach, but I'm still not sure at what level."
Formerly playing for a Division I powerhouse, the Pleasant Valley product's unique athletic background offers a fresh perspective for the Warrior collective. Much younger than most of the East Stroudsburg University (ESU) coaching staff, Blick says he is able to relate to players on a more personal level by promoting a feeling of comfort that benefits both the player's comprehension of what is being taught, as well as the psyche of the man chosen to dispense such knowledge.
"I've already been through what the guys on the team are going through," Blick said. "It's only been a few years since I was playing college ball myself, so I think the guys look at me as someone they can relate to really well."
For Blick, the opportunity to reestablish his niche in football as a coach has helped him to start anew amidst a series of hardships and injury-ridden seasons. After suffering an MCL tear that flat-lined all hope for a professional career, Blick fell on some hard times.