There are some positions in the NFL that are much more celebrated than others. Quarterback, wide receiver, edge rusher. But those other positions are just as important. One of the more overlooked ones is tight end. They basically have to be a hybrid between a wide receiver and an offensive tackle in both skill and size… not an easy task, and also not very appreciated. That’s why “Tight End University” was created. And there could be more like it coming for other positions.
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TEU is a three-day camp/summit held annually in Nashville during the offseason, generally in June before NFL training camps. It was founded in 2021 by perennial Pro Bowl tight ends Travis Kelce, Greg Olsen, and George Kittle.
Attendees bond, study, train, and learn from guys like that trio who have done it at the highest level. ESPN even produced a documentary on the camp this past year. And if you’re a TE of any kind of prominence, you’re attending this camp:
Tight End University — founded by George Kittle, Travis Kelce, and Greg Olsen — is back for its fifth year this week.
Here’s the full list of tight ends attending the event: pic.twitter.com/cF76wDLyRr
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) June 23, 2025
With the success of TEU, the idea to create similar camps/summits for other unsung heroes on the football field was inevitable. Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II is one of those leading the charge.
The reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and just the second DB to win the award since 2010, recently said that his father, Patrick Surtain, suggested creating something like TEU for the defensive back contingent after Surtain II had broached the idea with some fellow pros.
“We’ve been talking about this, bruh. I don’t know who it was, I think we had a discussion about it on Twitter. A couple of years back. It was like me, [Darius] Slay, Sauce [Gardner], and I forgot who else. But it was a whole discussion on, if we start a DB camp, that would for sure be an annual thing. A lot of people get the notion that DBs don’t really like each other, like we have this ego and sh*t,” Surtain II said via Closed on Sundays.
The elder Surtain was never a DPOY like his son, but he was also a cornerback. And he was no slouch in his own right. Surtain Sr. played 11 years in the NFL from 1998-2008 for the Dolphins and Chiefs, intercepting 37 passes, earning three straight Pro Bowls from 2002-2004, and landing First-Team All-Pro honors in 2002 and Second-Team honors in 2003.
Surtain Jr. believes that even he, the best CB in the game, would benefit greatly from a DB summit modeled after TEU.
“I think it would be good work… Just dropping gems, learning. I’d be there like a sponge. I’d be picking his brain, somebody else’s brain, and just learning. I think it would be a great experience. So I think pops is onto something. I think we could start something up, whether it’s in Miami, Orlando. Orlando would be the perfect spot. People got kids, they go to Disney World… I think it makes sense. Because the tight ends are doing it.”
A summit for DBs, and specifically cornerbacks like Surtain, would likely be a huge hit. The obvious answer is often QB, but those who really know the game of football will tell you that the toughest position on the field is cornerback. And that’s never been more clear than in 2025.
There is a dearth of lockdown corners in the league in the mold of a Surtain or a Darrelle Revis or a Deion Sanders. Perhaps a CBU camp would help young corners get on track a little bit quicker.
