Gerbino Gets Experience of a Lifetime at Manning Passing Academy

The Robert L. Blackman Head Coach of Dartmouth Football, Buddy Teevens, has worked with the famed Manning Passing Academy (MPA) since its inception in 1996, and this year he was joined by Big Green senior quarterback Jared Gerbino. The two spent the final week of June on the campus of Nicholls State University in Thibodeaux, Louisiana, and Gerbino took some time to answer some questions about his experience there.

Overall, how was your experience working with the other quarterbacks and instructors?
I had an unforgettable experience at the MPA. Meeting, and competing with some of the best quarterbacks in the nation was an unbelievable occurrence and opportunity that not many people get. I got to meet a bunch of great players, kids and coaches from all over the nation. The Manning family is a first-class family; each family member clearly exemplified hard work, respect and knowledge of the game. I believe all the QBs were able to bond and create friendships during such an amazing camp.

Jared Gerbino passing with other QBs looking on

Jared Gerbino passing with other QBs looking on

How did you enjoy working with the young campers?

I thoroughly enjoyed working with the campers. It was neat being able to carry over what my high school and college coaches taught me, and then applying it to the youth. By the end of the week, a lot of the kids become very comfortable with the college players, which forms a pretty cool bond even with the younger kids. I think they really idolize the QB position as well as the ability to play football at such a high level. For them, being able to hang around QBs such as myself and the other guys really shows that we're all just people and that if they work hard and study hard and stay focused, they can be in the same place that a lot of the older guys are currently in now.

Where were some of the other quarterbacks from that you worked with, and with whom did you end up spending the most time?
The variety of college quarterbacks was awesome. There were guys from the SEC, ACC and Patriot League, and obviously the Ivy League, national champion winners, Heisman hopefuls, etc. Overall I got to meet a bunch of great guys, and although there were 45 QBs, I believe I got to exchange words or meet almost all of them, making it a great bonding experience. I actually roomed with Colgate QB Grant Breneman [ed. note: Dartmouth hosts Colgate for its home opener on Sept. 28]. We became pretty close and I really enjoyed competing and learning with him. Dylan Jacobs from Western Colorado was another QB I became pretty close with. The QBs from UAB, Abilene Christian, Tennessee and Mississippi State, as well as many others, were other guys I spent time outside the field with. Overall a great group of guys, and like I said, the bonds that we formed and the experience that we all had was unforgettable.

Was there time to interact with the Manning family and get tips and feedback from them?
Yes. Besides getting coached by them at our workout sessions, we also had every meeting with them, conversed with them at social gatherings at night and ate meals with them. Each one of the Manning family members was a delight to talk to, and it's such an amazing thing seeing how humble each and every one of them is. The players also had a few sessions where we could ask Eli and Peyton any questions we wanted. It was extremely informational, and it's not every day you get to sit in a room and converse with two of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game.

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Did your expectations going into the camp match up with what you experienced?
I didn't really know what to expect honestly. I would say the camp, people, campers and everyone involved really blew me away. I had such an amazing time coaching, competing, learning, interacting and socializing. The camp was run very smoothly thanks to all of the staff members — Coach Teevens and Mrs. Teevens especially — and the social events as well as other activities they put on for us outside of the camp itself were truly awesome as well. Competing versus some of the best quarterbacks in the country was obviously a battle but also extremely fun, and that teaches you a lot about where you stand competition-wise. It was interesting to see just how close everyone was in terms of football skills. It put a lot of things into perspective.

Outside of football activities, were there other events associated with the camp in which you participated?
There were outside social activities that were put on for the players and staff. A lot of our bonding occurred at these events where food, games and entertainment were provided. All events were held at beautiful places (homes, restaurants, etc.) and the catered food was unreal.

How do you feel this experience will help you and Dartmouth football this season?
This experience personally helped me in terms of football knowledge and preparation. It also was an awesome gage of where I stand among other QBs in the nation. For the team aspect, I believe I also learned a lot, but mainly I heard very similar things that our coaches at Dartmouth teach us every day. For me that was the most important part, football is football. You simply have to get better at your craft, take in coaching points and constructive criticism, then apply it on the field. This experience further deepened my thoughts about how great of a team we are at Dartmouth and how great we can be this upcoming season. I believe if we stick together as a team, push each other and trust what our coaches are teaching us, then the sky is the limit.