Northwestern University Athletics
Photo by: Griffin Quinn / Northwestern Athletics
Caleb Tiernan Set for ‘Poetic’ Send-off at GameAbove Sports Bowl
12/24/2025 9:02:00 AM | Football
Offensive line coach Bill O'Boyle saw a common thread emerge in his one-on-one player meetings at the regular season's conclusion.
Every Northwestern lineman harped on Caleb Tiernan's stature as the standard to strive for in the program.
"Watching his work ethic and how that's evolved in two years has been amazing," O'Boyle said. "He's done a great job with the [O-Line] room. The kids look up to him, and the biggest thing was bringing that room together. Over the time I've been here, it was him making sure all the young guys are with them all the time. They're all doing things together away from the building."
For O'Boyle, Tiernan's impact on the offensive line extends beyond on-field performance and his evolution as a leader.
An accumulation of work behind the scenes has lined the graduate student's path to becoming one of the nation's top blockers.
"He's the first guy in the building at 5:15 a.m., he gets dressed, goes right up to the indoor or the weight room and goes through a stretching routine," O'Boyle said. "This is everyday stuff for him. In this day and age, if you're not doing the extra things away from the building or on your own where nobody's watching, you're not ever going to be the guy you need to be."
A quiet-natured 6-foot-7, 325-pound left tackle, Tiernan has developed a significant voice of authority during his fifth and final season with the Wildcats. Tiernan gave up just two sacks in Big Ten play and earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors (coaches, Associated Press).
Tiernan, who was named a captain during the preseason, led a Northwestern offensive line with three new starters to an elite tier within the conference. This season, the Wildcat offensive line earned PFF's No. 9 pass blocking grade in the FBS (81.3), the No. 3 figure in the Big Ten. In the ground game, NU's 72.4 run blocking grade ranked No. 17 in the FBS.
"This has been one of the best rooms I've been in since I've been in college," Tiernan said. "When it goes to coaches, coach [Ryan] Olson and Coach OB do a great job of balancing each other out, explaining what needs to be explained. As far as the players go, young guys have like eight different guys in the room they can go to and just get great advice."
A Livonia, Mich., native, Tiernan said he was likely the most ecstatic member of the Northwestern program when the Wildcats learned of their postseason destination. With Friday, Dec. 26's GameAbove Sports Bowl scheduled for Detroit's Ford Field at noon CT, Tiernan will end his collegiate career in the closest game he's played to his hometown since high school.
Tiernan bookended his Detroit Country Day football career with a state championship at the Detroit Lions' stadium in 2021. He said it's "poetic" that another chapter of his athletic career will conclude in a venue where he's forged myriad childhood memories.
"The last time I played there was interesting," Tiernan said. "In my junior year, we lost at Ford Field. So coming in my senior year, I wasn't that much of a fan of that place. I won in my senior year and changed my attitude, and the Lions have started to win recently, which has also changed my attitude toward Ford Field. I'm extremely excited to play there this year."
The left tackle expects a sizable contingent of friends and family to attend Friday's matchup with Central Michigan. Soon after the bowl game's announcement, a Facebook Group labeled the "Tiernan Fan Club" swiftly grew in scale.
As of Tuesday evening, the group includes 71 members and has begun distributing custom Tiernan merchandise for those in the All-Big Ten tackle's personal cheering section.
"I keep asking my mom how many extra tickets I need, and she just keeps saying 'Get as many as you can,'" Tiernan said. "I'm assuming everyone I've known since I was born will be there, and I'm excited to play in front of everyone. It's going to be a special day."
While Tiernan will soon attack preparations for his NFL Draft process, he said he's solely focused on helping the team close the 2025 season with a bowl win.
"The main thing I've been trying to do is take each day one at a time, focus on today then tomorrow because everything's going to come," Tiernan said. "It's just a matter of time. I'm really just focused on what's important now and staying focused on that."
Tiernan's consistent commitment to the program has left Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach David Braun in awe throughout the team's bowl prep.
"We're trying to manage Caleb's reps early on in practice before we even knew who or where we were playing, and — day two of practice — Caleb gets done with Indy, comes over to coach O'Boyle and says 'Hey, you're not managing my reps today. I showed up to practice today to get better," Braun said.
"For a senior captain that has a long NFL career ahead of him, that embodies who our team is, what we're about and what this bowl means to this team."
As he gears up for his 43rd career start at Northwestern, Tiernan said he and his fellow seniors aren't taking any of their remaining time together for granted.
"I'm treating this like a normal game," Tiernan said, "but in the back of the head, I do know that after Friday at 3 p.m., that's gonna be it. When I tear off my helmet, that'll be my last college game."
Every Northwestern lineman harped on Caleb Tiernan's stature as the standard to strive for in the program.
"Watching his work ethic and how that's evolved in two years has been amazing," O'Boyle said. "He's done a great job with the [O-Line] room. The kids look up to him, and the biggest thing was bringing that room together. Over the time I've been here, it was him making sure all the young guys are with them all the time. They're all doing things together away from the building."
For O'Boyle, Tiernan's impact on the offensive line extends beyond on-field performance and his evolution as a leader.
An accumulation of work behind the scenes has lined the graduate student's path to becoming one of the nation's top blockers.
"He's the first guy in the building at 5:15 a.m., he gets dressed, goes right up to the indoor or the weight room and goes through a stretching routine," O'Boyle said. "This is everyday stuff for him. In this day and age, if you're not doing the extra things away from the building or on your own where nobody's watching, you're not ever going to be the guy you need to be."
A quiet-natured 6-foot-7, 325-pound left tackle, Tiernan has developed a significant voice of authority during his fifth and final season with the Wildcats. Tiernan gave up just two sacks in Big Ten play and earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors (coaches, Associated Press).
More recognition for CT ????
— Northwestern Football (@NUFBFamily) December 11, 2025
Caleb Tiernan named to The Associated Press All-Big Ten Team! pic.twitter.com/ivJJRQvKsn
Tiernan, who was named a captain during the preseason, led a Northwestern offensive line with three new starters to an elite tier within the conference. This season, the Wildcat offensive line earned PFF's No. 9 pass blocking grade in the FBS (81.3), the No. 3 figure in the Big Ten. In the ground game, NU's 72.4 run blocking grade ranked No. 17 in the FBS.
"This has been one of the best rooms I've been in since I've been in college," Tiernan said. "When it goes to coaches, coach [Ryan] Olson and Coach OB do a great job of balancing each other out, explaining what needs to be explained. As far as the players go, young guys have like eight different guys in the room they can go to and just get great advice."
A Livonia, Mich., native, Tiernan said he was likely the most ecstatic member of the Northwestern program when the Wildcats learned of their postseason destination. With Friday, Dec. 26's GameAbove Sports Bowl scheduled for Detroit's Ford Field at noon CT, Tiernan will end his collegiate career in the closest game he's played to his hometown since high school.
Tiernan bookended his Detroit Country Day football career with a state championship at the Detroit Lions' stadium in 2021. He said it's "poetic" that another chapter of his athletic career will conclude in a venue where he's forged myriad childhood memories.
"The last time I played there was interesting," Tiernan said. "In my junior year, we lost at Ford Field. So coming in my senior year, I wasn't that much of a fan of that place. I won in my senior year and changed my attitude, and the Lions have started to win recently, which has also changed my attitude toward Ford Field. I'm extremely excited to play there this year."
The left tackle expects a sizable contingent of friends and family to attend Friday's matchup with Central Michigan. Soon after the bowl game's announcement, a Facebook Group labeled the "Tiernan Fan Club" swiftly grew in scale.
As of Tuesday evening, the group includes 71 members and has begun distributing custom Tiernan merchandise for those in the All-Big Ten tackle's personal cheering section.
"I keep asking my mom how many extra tickets I need, and she just keeps saying 'Get as many as you can,'" Tiernan said. "I'm assuming everyone I've known since I was born will be there, and I'm excited to play in front of everyone. It's going to be a special day."
While Tiernan will soon attack preparations for his NFL Draft process, he said he's solely focused on helping the team close the 2025 season with a bowl win.
"The main thing I've been trying to do is take each day one at a time, focus on today then tomorrow because everything's going to come," Tiernan said. "It's just a matter of time. I'm really just focused on what's important now and staying focused on that."
Tiernan's consistent commitment to the program has left Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach David Braun in awe throughout the team's bowl prep.
"We're trying to manage Caleb's reps early on in practice before we even knew who or where we were playing, and — day two of practice — Caleb gets done with Indy, comes over to coach O'Boyle and says 'Hey, you're not managing my reps today. I showed up to practice today to get better," Braun said.
"For a senior captain that has a long NFL career ahead of him, that embodies who our team is, what we're about and what this bowl means to this team."
As he gears up for his 43rd career start at Northwestern, Tiernan said he and his fellow seniors aren't taking any of their remaining time together for granted.
"I'm treating this like a normal game," Tiernan said, "but in the back of the head, I do know that after Friday at 3 p.m., that's gonna be it. When I tear off my helmet, that'll be my last college game."
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