The NFL Draft preparatory process includes a multitude of media availabilities. Pro Days, the Scouting Combine, Zoom calls, etc. bring a ton of interview opportunities. A lot of it is talking without actually saying anything, but occasionally, you truly find a gem. Caleb Tiernan won Northwestern’s Pro Day by telling the media something that people outside of the NU community just wouldn’t know.
“A lot of people, when they hear Northwestern, they think of nerds, really dorky people,” Tiernan said on March 17.
“And trust me if you go to Northwestern, you’re probably really smart, but there’s also a lot of chillers. There’s a lot of guys I’ve done group projects with, where I’m like, dude, you’re kinda like the GOAT.”
It was a humorously brilliant observation from the 6’8″ left tackle.
Tiernan is a Detroit area native who choose Northwestern over Michigan. He was also offered by the other two traditional powers of the now defunct Big Ten East division, Ohio State and Penn State.
He’s a very solid round two prospect, who didn’t just commit to NU out of high school. He stayed for the duration of his career, in an era where transferring has become the norm, not the exception.
“When I made a commitment as a high schooler, I didn’t just commit to a staff,” Tiernan said.
“I committed to the guys in the locker room, committed to a school…I think really just the competitiveness of every single guy is kind of what’s been a culture change here.”
Tiernan and his Wildcats teammates won two bowl games over the past three seasons, as the David Braun era has now taken on more solid footing. Entering year four, Braun has shown the Northwestern community that there is indeed life after Pat Fitzgerald.
Braun discussed Tiernan’s development, as both a player and as a person, over his time in Evanston.
“The progression that he made from the ’23 season to the ’24 season, the ’24 season to the ’25 season, the choice that he made to be fully committed to really reaching his full potential as a football player, you could see it in the way that he moved,” Braun said.
“The way that he operated, the way that he committed to his process, in terms of just even pre-workout, post-workout, was at the facility non-stop, extra film study- that young man made a choice to reach his full potential.
“And now to see that come to fruition with the season that he had last year, and the opportunities that that he’s going to have for years to come in the NFL, is so exciting.”
Tiernan was second team All-Big Ten this past season. Braun discussed what impresses him most about Tiernan, and it was actually his off-the-field (not on-the-field) qualities.
“I’m most proud of the choice that he made around his leadership and his influence on others within our football program,” Braun continued.
“Coming onto our leadership council, prior to the 2024 season, making an active choice to bring that room together, find ways to get that o-line group together away from the facility, to build a true brotherhood, and bonds, and then to be elected a team captain on this 2025 team.
“I told NFL personnel this morning being elected a captain on the 2025 Northwestern football team is like the ultimate honor. If you would have told me two years ago that Caleb Tiernan would have been a captain here, no slight on Caleb, it’s just that wasn’t something that he wanted to necessarily step into, in terms of a leadership role.
“It was uncomfortable for him, but he stepped into it. He owned it. He brought credibility. He was truly authentic to himself and he had a ton of influence on this football program.”
This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: Northwestern OT Caleb Tiernan is a big time prospect and person