Temple University Athletics
TE Steve Maneri
Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University
Steve Maneri: Growing into a Blocker
10.14.09 | Football
Gameday Feature Story
by Cathy Bongiovi, Temple Athletic Communications
Steve Maneri was always a skinny kid. He followed his older brother Anthony around and did everything he did. He loved sports, especially basketball and baseball.
Sometime between eighth and ninth grade, Maneri grew up … literally. The little, skinny kid grew six inches. The next year, he added a few more inches, bringing him to his current 6-6 frame.
“I pretty much had to get him new clothes every five minutes,” his mother Sue recalled. “And it's not easy to find pants long enough for him or shirts long enough for him. He was always growing.”
As a freshman at Temple, Maneri continued to grow. Now the not-so-little, skinny kid was adding pounds of muscle to his lean body.
“When I first came in, I was really thin-- about 215 pounds,” Maneri said.
He quickly added 15 pounds as a freshman.
“Alex Joseph, John Haley, and I were called 'soft' when we were younger. We were thrown into the mix as freshmen. I was 230 pounds, blocking first-round (NFL) picks. John and Alex were both probably around 215, if that. We were just physically out-matched.”
In his four years, he has gained 45 pounds through eating more and lifting weights. The added muscle-tone was necessary to give him strength at his position.
“Steve has worked really hard in the weight room,” strength coach Tony Decker said. “He's been consistent. I think he's really taken an interest in the importance of diet and nutrition and being consistent with meals and hydration, even when he's away. He understands the importance of nutrition, hydration, and hard work, and he's really worked hard at it.”
After playing just one season of high school football, Maneri had to learn much more about being a tight end.
“In high school I never blocked at all,” Maneri shared. “I didn't really know how to block. My first two years, I came in on passing plays, and I just caught balls. That was my biggest focus. I couldn't block; they didn't trust me in there to block defenders, so I had a little package. I had a few plays each game.”
Between his sophomore and junior seasons, that all changed.
“Then I started gaining weight and getting more physical,” Maneri recalled. ” Coach Tony Decker helped me in the weight room to get stronger. I actually went from being a pass-and-catch only guy to a probably heavier blocker now than receiver. This year with my size and whole offensive line, it's really changed my style. Now I'm a block-first guy when I used to be a pass-first guy.”
Last fall, Maneri saw action in every game, racking up 150 yards and four touchdowns on 14 receptions. He caught the game-winning touchdown against Ohio.
And now he is in the midst of his senior season, blocking alongside an experienced offensive line that averages 6-5 in height and 310 pounds. As a member of Al Golden's first recruiting class, he has been a part of major growth and change.
“We share something special, because of how we've grown together and how we've seen first-hand how this program's completely turned around,” Maneri said of his fellow seniors. “It really is amazing.”
A Preseason Honorable Mention All-MAC selection by Phil Steele's College Football, Maneri was named the team's most improved offensive player following spring drills. He has started every game this fall and is cherishing every moment of his final season in the Cherry & White.
“Beating Buffalo was such a big game,” Maneri said of his favorite win so far. “We were 0-2. They were the conference champs, and the way they beat us last year…They beat us my freshman year in overtime. My sophomore year they came in and killed us. We came into this game as if it were the most important game. I said all week that it was the most important game of our careers. Going in there and beating them the way we did was a huge momentum booster for our team.”
Now 2-0 in Mid-American Conference play for the first time since joining the league, Temple has eight games remaining. Then Maneri can concentrate on his postgraduate plans.
An Athletic Director's Honor Roll member, the communications major is undecided upon his career path.
“I'd like to get into something in marketing or advertising,” Maneri said. “At the same time, one day I want to write a movie script or start a new business, something along those lines. I'm not sure what I want to do yet. I know it will come to me. I'm not really worried about it.”
In his free time, Maneri likes to hang out with his cousin Lana and her children in South Philly. And he's learned to cook.
“Last year I started to learn how to cook,” Maneri shared. “Every time I step in front of the stove, I call my mom three or four times to tell me what I'm doing wrong. I can make a pretty good chicken marsala and bolognese sauce. That's something I can definitely get into, and I'm going to be one of those dads that cooks a lot in the future.”
Until then, Maneri will continue to eat and lift weights. Maybe he'll grow another couple inches to catch up to his younger brother Justin, the 6-8 sophomore who plays basketball at Lehigh.
“Steve has matured quite a bit from a boy to a man, that's for sure,” his mother added.
Steve Maneri was always a skinny kid. He followed his older brother Anthony around and did everything he did. He loved sports, especially basketball and baseball.
Sometime between eighth and ninth grade, Maneri grew up … literally. The little, skinny kid grew six inches. The next year, he added a few more inches, bringing him to his current 6-6 frame.
“I pretty much had to get him new clothes every five minutes,” his mother Sue recalled. “And it's not easy to find pants long enough for him or shirts long enough for him. He was always growing.”
As a freshman at Temple, Maneri continued to grow. Now the not-so-little, skinny kid was adding pounds of muscle to his lean body.
“When I first came in, I was really thin-- about 215 pounds,” Maneri said.
He quickly added 15 pounds as a freshman.
“Alex Joseph, John Haley, and I were called 'soft' when we were younger. We were thrown into the mix as freshmen. I was 230 pounds, blocking first-round (NFL) picks. John and Alex were both probably around 215, if that. We were just physically out-matched.”
In his four years, he has gained 45 pounds through eating more and lifting weights. The added muscle-tone was necessary to give him strength at his position.
“Steve has worked really hard in the weight room,” strength coach Tony Decker said. “He's been consistent. I think he's really taken an interest in the importance of diet and nutrition and being consistent with meals and hydration, even when he's away. He understands the importance of nutrition, hydration, and hard work, and he's really worked hard at it.”
After playing just one season of high school football, Maneri had to learn much more about being a tight end.
“In high school I never blocked at all,” Maneri shared. “I didn't really know how to block. My first two years, I came in on passing plays, and I just caught balls. That was my biggest focus. I couldn't block; they didn't trust me in there to block defenders, so I had a little package. I had a few plays each game.”
Between his sophomore and junior seasons, that all changed.
“Then I started gaining weight and getting more physical,” Maneri recalled. ” Coach Tony Decker helped me in the weight room to get stronger. I actually went from being a pass-and-catch only guy to a probably heavier blocker now than receiver. This year with my size and whole offensive line, it's really changed my style. Now I'm a block-first guy when I used to be a pass-first guy.”
Last fall, Maneri saw action in every game, racking up 150 yards and four touchdowns on 14 receptions. He caught the game-winning touchdown against Ohio.
And now he is in the midst of his senior season, blocking alongside an experienced offensive line that averages 6-5 in height and 310 pounds. As a member of Al Golden's first recruiting class, he has been a part of major growth and change.
“We share something special, because of how we've grown together and how we've seen first-hand how this program's completely turned around,” Maneri said of his fellow seniors. “It really is amazing.”
A Preseason Honorable Mention All-MAC selection by Phil Steele's College Football, Maneri was named the team's most improved offensive player following spring drills. He has started every game this fall and is cherishing every moment of his final season in the Cherry & White.
“Beating Buffalo was such a big game,” Maneri said of his favorite win so far. “We were 0-2. They were the conference champs, and the way they beat us last year…They beat us my freshman year in overtime. My sophomore year they came in and killed us. We came into this game as if it were the most important game. I said all week that it was the most important game of our careers. Going in there and beating them the way we did was a huge momentum booster for our team.”
Now 2-0 in Mid-American Conference play for the first time since joining the league, Temple has eight games remaining. Then Maneri can concentrate on his postgraduate plans.
An Athletic Director's Honor Roll member, the communications major is undecided upon his career path.
“I'd like to get into something in marketing or advertising,” Maneri said. “At the same time, one day I want to write a movie script or start a new business, something along those lines. I'm not sure what I want to do yet. I know it will come to me. I'm not really worried about it.”
In his free time, Maneri likes to hang out with his cousin Lana and her children in South Philly. And he's learned to cook.
“Last year I started to learn how to cook,” Maneri shared. “Every time I step in front of the stove, I call my mom three or four times to tell me what I'm doing wrong. I can make a pretty good chicken marsala and bolognese sauce. That's something I can definitely get into, and I'm going to be one of those dads that cooks a lot in the future.”
Until then, Maneri will continue to eat and lift weights. Maybe he'll grow another couple inches to catch up to his younger brother Justin, the 6-8 sophomore who plays basketball at Lehigh.
“Steve has matured quite a bit from a boy to a man, that's for sure,” his mother added.
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