Last weekend, Penn football improved to 5-1 in 2023 following a ten-point win at Yale. Late in the fourth quarter of that game, the Quakers were leading 20-17, when junior quarterback Aidan Sayin threw a 15 yard strike to tight end Bryce Myers for a touchdown that essentially clinched the game. Despite traffic around the middle of the field, Myers came down with the touchdown catch — the first of his collegiate career — while taking hits from two defenders. He would finish the game with three catches for 33 yards and the touchdown.
“It was a pretty special moment,” Myers said of the catch. “I just want to say thanks to [offensive coordinator Dan] Swanstrom for calling that play in that situation that was designed for me, [and sophomore wide receiver] Jared Richardson, who was also involved. Just opening that play up for Aidan to throw me the ball.”
For Penn's offense, tight ends are required to play a variety of roles, whether it's catching passes, blocking downfield on runs, or helping the offensive line in pass protection. According to tight ends coach Sean Reeder, Myers embraces these different roles, and is always capable of embracing whatever he's asked to do, both mentally and physically.
“He's had a major impact on us as an offense,” Reeder said. “He’s won our physicality award quite a bit this year, [but] it takes a lot of mental awareness to be able to do the things we ask a tight end to do in the offense, which is a lot.”
Myers enjoys the variability of the position and realizes the value of all the roles he has to play. Even though he says some people see him as slightly undersized — he's listed at 6'3" and 230 pounds — Myers says he is inspired to model his game on athletes like Minnesota Vikings tight end TJ Hockenson.
Much of Myers’ football journey can be attributed to his older brother, who was also a tight end in college at Rutgers. In high school, despite playing both tight end and linebacker, his brother served as an inspiration to stick with the offensive side of the ball.
“Growing up, one of my biggest role models was my older brother, and in high school, he was a tight end, so just seeing him on Friday nights was something inspiring," Myers said. "The Division 1 goal was always something to strive [for] and be like him.”
Off the field, Myers is growing into a different type of role as a junior and the everyday starter. And his teammates have grown to appreciate Myers as a leader.
“Bryce is a phenomenal teammate and an even better friend,” fellow junior tight end Mike Fraraccio said. “It’s really great playing behind him because he’s really developed a [leadership] role for not only the tight end room but also the offense. I'm so grateful and thankful to have him."
Among Myers's teammates and coaches, one piece of praise rises above the rest: selflessness. Whether he's running routes and scoring touchdowns or blocking for running backs in the trenches, he is doing what he can to help Penn succeed.
“[For] Bryce specifically, it’s never going to be about individual accomplishments. It’s about what we can do as a team, and I think that’s where his focus is for sure,’’ Reeder said.
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