PHILADELPHIA -- Zach Ertz is on a mission.

The Philadelphia Eagles' third-year tight end traveled across the country in a quest to improve his game. Because his abilities as a blocker have limited his playing time, Ertz spent some time working out with longtime offensive line coach Hudson Houck in San Diego.

While he was on the West Coast, Ertz contacted former NFL Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez. Justin Peelle, the Eagles' new tight ends coach, played with Gonzalez in Atlanta.

"I got his number through [Peelle]," Ertz said after Tuesday's minicamp practice. "I kind of just cold-texted him one day, asking if he would be willing to meet with me, sit down and have lunch with me. Luckily for me, he was willing to do that. I mean, if he said no, he said no. I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. That's how I looked at it."

Over a three-hour lunch meeting, Gonzalez offered Ertz plenty of advice. Most of it focused on the mental side of the game.

"Off the field stuff," Ertz said. "How you're going to train your brain as well as your body, how to approach the game. He was very businesslike each and every day. That's the approach I've had this offseason. I'm here to get better. That's the sole purpose each and every day. I'm reading a lot of books that he recommended as well."

The books focus on everything from training the mind to the life of Richard Branson.

"I think it's very good for me," Ertz said.

Ertz was pleasantly surprised by Gonzalez, a Berkeley product who might easily have snubbed a Stanford grad like Ertz. Gonzalez is one of the tight ends Ertz watched growing up and modeled his game after. But there was no intimidation sitting down with Gonzalez.

"He made it very comfortable, with all the message we had back and forth," Ertz said. "Approaching a guy like that, that's where I want to be in 15 years or 20 years, whatever it may be. His career is unbelievable -- the best tight end to ever play. That's what I want to get to."