Chad Bartoszek
Tight End - Football

Talk about the difficulties of playing a 12-game schedule. Is your approach to the season any different this year in that regard?
During a football season – especially a 12-game schedule – it is very important to stay as healthy as you possibly can. Even the little bumps and bruises must be treated as soon as possible, so they don’t pile up on you. The approach is the same, you have to take each week one at a time – focus on the game and don’t look ahead.

How essential is a solid off-season program for a team? What parts of the off-season do you view as most important?
The off-season program is very important and needs to be taken as seriously as the regular season. The off-season gives every player the chance to improve dramatically. The younger players get the chance to mature physically and become more familiar with college football. The older players get the chance to look back on the previous season and focus on areas that need to be improved. With morning runs, long daily workouts, and spring football practice, there really is no off-season.

For the team to improve and continue to get better there must be a lot of work done. Personally, I feel the most important part of the off-season is the work that is done in the weight room. Getting stronger and more explosive is important to every player and there is always room to improve when it comes to weight training.

Discuss what your role in the Bulls’ offense is.
My role in the offense will be very similar to last year, which involves both a traditional tight end alignment and also an opportunity for me to work outside the tackle. We have a great amount of flexibility in this offense that allows me to be used in a variety of ways.

You exploded with 42 catches last season. How do you plan on duplicating or improving upon that type of production this season?
Last year I was very fortunate to get the chance to catch the ball as often as I did. I was happy with how I played, but I know that I need to improve in a lot of areas from last season, including my blocking. I have been working on improving throughout the entire off-season. It has been great motivation for me during my workouts to try and improve on last year in every aspect of my game.

You mentioned working to become a better blocker. How does that differ from the work you do on pass catching?
I was never a good blocker – I was always tall and skinny. It was hard for me to get low and get the proper angles on defenders. That’s something I’ve worked on in the weight room and on the field. It’s a lot different than the receiving for me, because that came a lot more naturally.

How do you look at the accolades you have garnered – including being listed as a John Mackey Award candidate?
All of the accolades and preseason picks as a top tight end are something that I appreciate very much and am very honored to have received, but it is not something that I am going allow to get in the way of the goals of the team. Taking in all of the accolades helps as motivation to continue to work hard and get better. It’s nice to receive recognition in the preseason, but you can’t allow yourself to get caught up in it. It is much easier to play your best, then look back after the season on how you and the team did – and hopefully the work during the season deserves recognition.

With National Football League scouts being at games and at off-season workouts, does your mindset change at all? Have you been in touch with former UB players like Drew Haddad in regards to preparing for an NFL career?
Having NFL scouts around during practice and watching games is something that I am still getting used to dealing with. The best way to handle it is to just be yourself and do everything you would do if they weren’t there. That way, what they’re seeing is you and it is not an act you are putting on just because they are there. I actually talked to Drew a few times during the summer when he came by to work out at UB, but have not talked to him about the NFL. He is a great guy and very helpful, so I am confident he would lend some advice.

Are you expecting the opposing defenses to focus on you more this season?
It was a challenge last year, and it will be again this year. I’ve worked hard in the off-season. I don’t necessarily believe that the defensive schemes we’ll face as a team will be all that much different.

Talk about Randall Secky, who will lead the Bulls’ offense as the quarterback in 2002.
The expectations are high. He’s worked hard all summer with us. We threw three or four times a week – and he’s built a good rapport with the receivers and tight ends. We all know he’s up for the challenge, it’s just about executing in practice and on the field.

After growing up in nearby Salamanca, what does it mean for you to be part of the teams that have put UB football ‘on the map’?
As my last year here, I am very excited to see the strides that this team and school has made to make UB football a competitive Mid-American Conference football team. Going from a Division III school just a handful of years ago to a Division I team in a very competitive conference is amazing. The young talent the team continues to bring in is just going to continue to improve the program and make UB very successful for years to come. Being in the first UB Division I recruiting class is something that I will always be able to talk about when watching the program continue to rise. My time here has been great and I am excited for the coaching staff, the young players and the entire school.

-The ’10 Questions with…’ feature is compiled by Geoff Nason.

08/26/2002