INDIANAPOLIS – As former Northwestern offensive tackle Caleb Tiernan stood at the interview podium of the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, he couldn’t believe where he was.
“It’s pretty surreal,” Tiernan said Saturday. “These (moments) are what you dream of as a kid.”
Tiernan, the eighth-ranked offensive tackle in the draft by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, was one of three former Wildcats to participate in the combine, along with former defensive lineman Aidan Hubbard and fellow former offensive lineman Evan Beerntsen.
For Tiernan, his passion for football has always been present, and he credits much of his early inspiration to his dad and older brother. He was playing flag football in first grade while his brother, three years his senior as a fourth grader, played offensive tackle, he said. The next year, the Livonia, Mich. native decided to follow in his brother’s footsteps and moved to tackle.
Now, over a decade later, Tiernan sits on the precipice of becoming an NFL tackle, something he and his siblings had always talked about, he said.
Tiernan, one of the 2025 season team captains, said he hopes he left a positive impact on his teammates.
“I hope I was a great mentor to young guys and an example for them of what it meant to be a true professional,” Tiernan said. “The way I recovered, the way I handled myself within the facility, I’m hoping that those young guys can remember that, and carry on.”
One way Tiernan exhibited that leadership was by bucking the national trend of opting out of bowl games and playing his final game for NU at the GameAbove Sports Bowl.
While some draft prospects choose to opt out of bowl games to prepare for their potential NFL careers, Tiernan never thought of not participating. The game being played in his backyard — just over 20 minutes from his hometown — was a bonus.
“I would have played anywhere,” Tiernan said. “I made a commitment to those guys. Those guys elected me as captain. I felt like that was my team, and I’m not gonna let my team go out in the field if I’m not on it.”
Tiernan took the “his team” approach to heart. After committing to the ’Cats in 2020, he never wavered in his commitment to the team, spending all five years there.
As that becomes an increasingly rare occurrence nationally, with over 60% of the top 600 players from Tiernan’s high school recruiting class transferring at least once, according to The Athletic, he hopes that NFL teams see his commitment to the ’Cats as an advantage.
“I just hope that it shows that I’m loyal,” Tiernan said. “Growing up, (when) you make a commitment, you stick to it.”
Tiernan learned this lesson from his father, who was often his and his three siblings’ coach when they played youth sports, he said.
Beerntsen, Tiernan’s roommate for the week at the combine, also brought his passion and care to the ’Cats for one year as a graduate transfer from South Dakota State.
The Green Bay, Wis. native spent his first four seasons with the Jackrabbits before coming to Evanston, where he was named an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention.
Despite only spending a year with NU, Beerntsen credits a lot of his growth on and off the field to coach David Braun and former offensive line coach Bill O’Boyle.
“They made me into the player I was,” Beerntsen said.
His favorite memory from Evanston was either the team culture and the city or playing at Wrigley Field, which he said was “special.”
As he moves on to a potential future in the NFL, Beerntsen hopes he left behind a legacy of dedication and love for the game.
“I just want to be known as a great person, great teammate, somebody that cared a lot, brought that physicality when it was needed,” he said.
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