Eye of the Tiger: Eason relishes leading the 'big uglies' onto the field

Eason leads the big uglies on the field (Photo courtesy of Jackson Jones/@ClemsonFB).

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Tue Oct 18 07:00:05 GMT-04:00 2022

CLEMSON – Nick Eason leads the offensive linemen and defensive linemen out of the locker prior to warmups each game, and it’s something that gives him chill bumps.

Before each game, Clemson quarterbacks and specialists take the field for warmups first, and then meet and form lines next to the tunnel to welcome the linemen out onto the field. Before the opener at Georgia Tech, Eason led that group on the field, and he high-stepped his way to midfield, grinning from ear to ear and acting like he was ready to play.

“I was just really excited to be back here,” Eason told TigerNet Monday. “It's been 20 years since I've been at Clemson, and I told the guys that I just took it upon myself. I'm like, ‘Listen, I am coming out of this tunnel. It's my first game back. I'm back as a coach. I'm going to have my hat backwards with my shades on, and we’re going to run into the Georgia Dome (Mercedes-Benz Stadium). I am back in my home state and I am leading you guys out.’”

I asked if he liked leading "the big uglies" out on the field.

"So you're saying I'm a big ugly? I can accept that," he said with a megawatt smile.

Eason returned home to his alma mater on Jan. 7, 2022 after being hired as Clemson’s defensive run game coordinator and defensive tackles coach. A veteran of 17 combined NFL seasons as a player and coach, he joined defensive ends Coach Lemanski Hall to give Clemson’s talented defensive line group the guidance of a coaching duo with 26 combined seasons of NFL experience.

Prior to returning to Clemson, he served as defensive line coach at Auburn in 2021, helping those Tigers to their largest sack total since 2018. He served as defensive line coach for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2019-20 and spent two seasons as an assistant defensive line coach for the Tennessee Titans from 2014-15 before becoming the Titans’ defensive line coach in 2016-17.

He was a four-year letterman at Clemson from 1999-2002, playing 47 games with 35 starts and recording 15 sacks and 30 tackles for loss. He was a fourth-round selection by the Denver Broncos in the 2003 NFL Draft, but he spent his rookie season on the Reserve/Injured list after suffering an Achilles injury during training camp. He played 117 NFL games over 10 seasons from 2003-12 with the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals.

Eason spent four seasons with the Steelers from 2007-10 and helped the team to two Super Bowl appearances, including a victory in Super Bowl XLIII in the 2008 season.

That Super Bowl doesn’t compare to leading his players out on the field.

“I came out and I had chill bumps. I'm like a kid in a candy shop,” Eason said. “I felt like I came out for my first Super Bowl. And then after that, guys are like, 'Coach, where are you at? Put your hat backward. Let's go.' And so I've been doing that every week, and I just come in the locker room and get them some words of encouragement. And we walk out there, and it's really empowering. But as you can see, I came out with my hat backwards a few times, and we just didn't get the job done on a level that I would like for us, to see us dominate.

“We have to do a better job and maintain that energy for four quarters and have the eye of the Tiger.”