Here is info on him from one of his local papers.
NFL takes interest in Bergen
Mountain Hawk, psychology major, All-American.
NFL draft pick?
That’s what ESPN.com is calling Adam Bergen in its latest preseason NFL draft guide.
Last fall, his first as a starter, Bergen showed the world what he could do and the world took notice. Entering his senior season at Lehigh, the four-year letterman is among the top 50 senior prospects in the country, the eighth-best tight end and the only representative from a Division I-AA school.
It was a whirlwind of a summer for Bergen, who’s collected a handful of awards and honors, perhaps none greater than the projections by numerous networks and publications, including ESPN and Sports Illustrated, of his likelihood as a second-day draft pick.
It’s a pleasant surprise, but no one should be shocked after the monster season Bergen recorded last year, a campaign that included 70 receptions, 840 yards and six touchdowns. You can do the math – that’s 12 yards per catch. A veritable automatic first-down. A wide receiver in a tight end’s cleats. And, yes, the best small-school player in the nation.
But rewind four years and Bergen was just a blip on the radar screen.
Coming out of high school, the Long Island native was hardly a blue-chipper; now he’s too good for the Patriot League.
“Although Adam was not highly recruited, we feel like we found a real diamond in the rough,” Head Coach Pete Lembo said. “Needless to say, we’re still counting our blessings. And you can bet the scouts at Big 10 and Big 12 powerhouses are still shaking their heads.”
Bergen, all 6 feet 4 inches and 262 pounds of him, runs the 40 in 4.7 seconds. He doesn’t just run past the opposition; he runs it over. Comparisons to Jeremy Shockey might be premature, but it doesn’t take Chris Berman to tell you that the Patriot League’s poster boy has ideal NFL tight end size. He also has the intelligence and mental toughness that talent can’t teach.
“Growing up, my dad didn’t accept mediocrity, he was always pushing me to do better,” Bergen said. “As a result, I learned to never underestimate myself. I’ve had high expectations and set lofty goals ever since.”
Bergen threw his first spiral in middle school and was hooked for life. His Uncle Bill was an all-American at East Stroudsburg University in 1978 and Bergen was poised to continue the legacy.
With his long reach and athletic build, Bergen also excelled in basketball and baseball in high school. Of course, it was that other sport where he made his name echo throughout the halls of Seaford High, quarterbacking his team to the Long Island Championship in his sophomore year.
But nobody likes a straightforward story and this one has its own twist.
When he arrived at the snaking hills of South Mountain in 2001, Bergen found himself in a new position with new demands.
“I had never played tight end before and I just tried to make the best of the situation,” Bergen said. “Run-blocking and learning the routes for different runs were the biggest challenges.”
Lembo knew that Bergen had the potential to be a star.
“Naturally, we liked his frame and toughness, and felt he could make the transition to tight end if he bulked up a little,” Lembo said.
Bergen made more than a transition; he’s made an impression, stomping his footprint on everything from the Patriot League to professional football scouts. Suffice to say, it didn’t take long for Bergen to get adjusted.
“Since his arrival as a freshman, Adam embraced the position change and has worked very hard to get bigger, stronger, and faster,” Lembo said.
And it’s paid off in spades.
“Bergen has athleticism that is rare for tight ends his size,” team captain Kaloma Cardwell said. “He has the size and speed of prototypical tight ends but he also has the agility and hands of a receiver.”
The consensus among scouts is positive: The kid is only going to get better. And with his first full season behind him, the quarterback-cum-tight end is expected to make an even bigger leap in draft rankings by winter’s end as the media continues to hawk over his progress.
Of course, there’s always a few question marks; no prospect, NFL or otherwise, is perfect. Bergen plays in the Division I-AA, a league he dominates with ease, but also a league he has been limited to playing against. Lehigh’s location in the Patriot League, far from a power conference, doesn’t help either.
But Bergen isn’t fazed.
“I am definitely happy to be here,” Bergen said. “They gave me an opportunity and I made the most of it.”
And if anyone can make it in the NFL from this year’s crop of I-AA stars, it’s the tough kid from Long Island, driven by emotion and a passion for the game rather than personal success, the unassuming tight end who emerged on the national sports scene after his first full year in the huddle.
Bergen didn’t climb the wall, he smashed it down. He is a quick learner, but even quicker to rise to the occasion when given the chance. The NFL beckons, and Bergen, already on pace to repeat as an all-American (7 receptions, 76 yards, and one touchdown through Saturday’s game), heeds the call.
“The NFL has always been a dream of mine. I started thinking about the possibility in the spring after my sophomore season,” Bergen said. “After last fall, I realized that being drafted wasn’t out of the question.
As a tight end, however, Bergen’s responsibilities supersede mere stat-grabbing performances. The NFL is looking for the complete package, a team player with the blue-collar fundamentals that translate into success.
“Adam must have a great year as a physical blocker and team leader,” Lembo said. “If our team has success and he blocks consistently, he will likely get an opportunity to make an NFL squad.”
And Bergen would jump at the opportunity to play in the NFL.
“If any team wants to give me a shot, I’ll take it,” he said. “I’m not about to get picky in terms of who I’m playing for next year.”
“Bergen will go as far as he wants,” Cardwell said. “As long as he stays focused, Lehigh fans may soon be seeing him play on Sundays.”
After all, making it big in the big-time as a I-AA football player isn’t such an anomaly. And if Bergen makes the jump from Mountain Hawk to Monday Night Football, he won’t be the first. Chicago Bears running back Rabih Abdullah, ’98G, and Richie Owens, ’96G, who last played with the Miami Dolphins in 2003, are the most recent.
Adam Bergen is poised to make another turn, this time from a I-AA football player to playing football for a living. And if his last transition was any indication, success will also follow.
