Today was Northwestern's Pro Day at Ryan Fieldhouse, where Wildcat seniors showcased their skills to NFL scouts.
The crowd also included family members, friends, media and, of course, Northwestern's head coach David Braun. The big man was there to support his student athletes, but he also took some time before the session to speak to the media.
Among the players who were tested today was last year's starting left tackle Caleb Tiernan. The 6-foot-7, 280 lbs behemoth was a star for the 'Cats in his fifth season with the program, and the expectation is that he will be the first Northwestern player selected in next month's NFL Draft.
Tiernan is probably unlikely to go in the first round, a la Peter Skoronski, but expect to see him off the board by the end of the fourth. It feels like second to fourth round is his likely landing spot.
Braun beamed when he was asked to talk about what Tiernan meant to this program. He gave a long answer, centered around watching him grow over the course of his time in Evanston.
"You know, the choice that he made to be fully committed to really reaching his full potential as a football player, you could see it," Braun said. "I mean, just in the way that he moved, 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."
Tiernan started all 13 games for the 'Cats last season after playing in every game the two seasons prior. He was an iron man for this team, and Northwestern really needed him. It was the perfect symbiotic relationship -- mutualism if you want to get technical.
After praising his player, Braun lauded Tiernan for staying the course and not leaving for another program. He wasn't out to suggest that all decisions to transfer are bad, but he pushed back against the modern landscape.
"At the end of the day, transferring is not always bad, but this illusion that transferring is always a good thing is a bunch of BS," Braun said. "We all know this, that, at times, you know, that transferring can stunt a young man's development on and off the field."
Braun also spoke about his senior class as a whole staying with the team.
"I think it speaks to the character of the young men within our program. I think it speaks to Northwestern," Braun said. "I know, at the end of the day, the young men had to chose to stay, you know, understand what a degree from Northwestern means, what this experience means not only to them today, but for the rest of their lives."
Tiernan and his fellow teammates who worked out today will be leaving Northwestern for the next chapters of their football careers, whatever that may look like for each individual. But they have a now former head coach in their corner who is always ready to sing their praises.