Rookie Thomas Fidone II was one of four New York Giants players to attend this year’s Tight End University, hosted by Kansas City Chiefs veteran Travis Kelce, San Francisco 49ers superstar George Kittle, and retired great Greg Olson.
Fidone was joined by teammates Theo Johnson, Daniel Bellinger, and Chris Manhertz, but it was he who apparently caught Kelce’s attention.
“I got some pretty cool compliments from Kecle, just out of the blue,” Fidone told KETV. “He told me I was extremely athletic and moved extremely well. He told me that the top of my routes were really good. He didn’t say it like that, but he said it. So, just being able to hear that from him was cool.
“I thought it was awesome being able to just connect and make connections with all the guys around there. . . . Being able to meet with the guys, workout with them, get different input from everyone, and kind of see how they do things differently. Each tight end is different and has different skill sets and strong suits, so it’s fun to be able to learn from them.”
In addition to sharing the praise he received from Kelce, Fidone, a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft, also credited current Nebraska head coach and former Giants assistant Matt Rhule for being NFL-ready.
Thomas Fidone II identified Matt Rhule as the single biggest reason why he’s ready for the NFL.
“The offense that he brought to Nebraska and the mindset that he brought definitely helped the transition.”@KETV | @ThomasFidone | #Huskerspic.twitter.com/HOS2CozmMn
— Matt Sottile (@MSottileTV) July 7, 2025
“I would say the biggest thing would be coach Rhule and the offense that he brought to Nebraska, the NFL offense, and the mindset that he brought definitely helped the transition,” Fidone said. “And also what they expect of you at the next level.”
Several serious injuries limited Fidone’s time on the field in college, so it allowed him to work on the mental side of things. Now healthy, he hopes to combine the two and become a viable option for the Giants and their brand-new quarterback room.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants’ Thomas Fidone caught the eye of Travis Kelce at Tight End U