Graduate safety Tienne Fridge, is entering his last season with Eastern.

Fridge, from Sacramento, California, was on the football, swim and track teams in high school. Fridge swam from age 6 to 14 but soon started taking football more seriously.

Fridge came from Junior College Sacramento City College, and he said Eastern was his only offer.

Throughout his 2022 season at Sacramento City College, Fridge was named Northern California Football Association National Division All-Valley League. Fridge recorded 18 tackles, three tackles for loss, two interceptions, seven pass break-ups and a forced fumble.

At the end of the 2025 spring game, Fridge was selected to be one of four captains for the 2025 season.

In this Q&A, Fridge shares his early stint in swimming, how he coaches young players on the team and why Deion Sanders is his G.O.A.T in football.

Q: At what age did you start playing football?

A: “I played flag football probably when I was like 8. Then I played tackle when I was in third grade.”

Q: Why did you transfer to Eastern?

A: “My big thing was about transferring in December. So I graduated early from my junior college. Then Eastern was my only offer, and I didn’t want to wait until the summer. I also have family in Chicago. My dad was in Chicago. So being in California wasn’t my mama. I don’t know. I probably didn’t realize where I was supposed to be.”

Q: What was your journey from playing JUCO to coming to Eastern Illinois?

A: “I graduated in 2020 with COVID-19, obviously. My senior year ended with COVID-19. I didn’t get to play football at all that year. I didn’t start, and I didn’t get to work out with the team. Until spring of 2021. Then I played 2021. Didn’t start off as well as I wanted. That first season, I ended pretty well. Had some momentum going into my sophomore season. I had like four interceptions in junior college. Then I remember I got a call. I actually had COVID-19 when I got offered, for like one of my last three games at Sacramento City College. Then I took my visit in January. I got offered, I think in November. Then I took a trip in January or December.”

Q: What made you choose to major in interpersonal communication, and what do you plan to do with it?

A: “I got my associate’s degree at Sac City in psychology.  I like the structure, and the basics of psychology. Once I got here, I finished two psychology classes. I had a feeling I wanted to switch. So I took two psychology classes, and I already had my minor. I also took a sports marketing class. Then I took production one. I felt like communication would be a good avenue for me. I quickly realized interpersonal was like a good fit for me. I felt like a mix between psychology and communications. I’m in grad school right now in communications and leadership. My main thing is just realizing how to value relationships. Wherever I do work I feel like it’s something that I could apply anywhere. I’ve thought about coaching. I’ve coached before. I’ve coached kids and stuff at my junior college. I had a big, I had a real heart for it. So I was thinking about maybe wanting to coach. I appreciate working with kids and I appreciate coaching. So I don’t know if that’s exactly where I want to go, but I’m also trying to see what other fields that I would like to work in.”

Q: If you were to coach, where would you coach at?

A: “I feel like if I was to start coaching, I’d probably want to go back home. I’ve tried not to look too far ahead. I’m just really focused on this season, this year, and finishing this semester. But I do think I’ve gained some skills. I mean, I’ve done it before, and I’ve also learned a lot about coaching. Just from being at Eastern, like understanding how much of a business it is. It’s way different than working with elementary kids and middle school and high school kids.”

Q: If you weren’t playing football what sport would you be playing?

A: “I’d probably be swimming. I used to swim competitively when I was 6 to 14. Once I got into middle school and early high school, I got more serious about football. I would swim in the summers and it would intervene with summer workouts. I was probably better at swimming than I was at football. My senior year in high school, I was on the swim team and the track team. Then COVID happened. So I had one swim meet and one track meet. I qualified in the relay, my first swim meet.”

Q: What was your best stroke in swimming?

A: “I pretty much liked everything except backstroke.”

Q: What do you think is the biggest strength in your position room?

A: “I feel like communicating. When we are on the same page and playing, whether they played for some time or they just understand the defense. But also I’d say physicality.”

Q: What areas of your game have improved the most since transferring from Sacramento City College?

A: “I think my physicality, I’ve been using my hands a lot, and, I think just like my overall IQ. I came in [Eastern] playing corner where I wasn’t involved in playing between the tackles. So playing nickel, it’s more physical. Then you’re in between everything. You have help over the top. It gives you more room to just play fast. I think now that I understand more of the nuances, it helps me play more confidently.”

Q: As a graduate student, how do you approach mentoring younger players on the team?

A: “I think that’s the same, like it goes hand in hand, it helps me give grace to my teammates or whatever they’re struggling with. Whether they’re worried about playing time, worried about things not going their way or just knowing just their job on the field and maybe even just their role on the team. I have a lot of experiences that I’ve been able to draw from to instill positivity to them because they don’t, they don’t see what’s, they really just see the here and now. It’s easy to be like that when you first start playing, like when you’re a freshman or sophomore. I think it’s really cool, it’s like an experience to have that perspective of seeing where someone is at and knowing that’s where you used to be and you’re trying to help walk them through it.”

Q: How do you balance being a student and an athlete?

A: “My mom and my dad both made education known that it’s important. I always loved football. I always wanted to do the best I could at anything I did, but also, I knew if I couldn’t perform in the classroom, I couldn’t perform on the field. Now school’s like second nature to me. I still get stressed out sometimes about assignments and how I am holding up in the classroom. Not necessarily like, am I going to pass or am I going to fail? I feel like being at Eastern, it helps me balance it more. I’m more than football. I always have this first perspective on myself like, I’m a football player. So, I gotta do X, Y and Z, but realizing I’m more than a football player helped me realize, when I came here to play football. I want to be someone that is like a valuable person off the field first. Like everything else on the field will play out as it should. I feel like that’s the same thing as balancing football and my academics is like my priorities, my priorities off the field is what makes being on the field easier.”

Q: Who is the funniest on the team?

A: “Noah Williams is very funny. I think he’s one of the funniest guys. And sometimes he’s not just trying to be funny, but his locker’s right next to mine. Josh Brown‘s pretty funny. That’s my guy, he has some character. I think CJ [Nelson] ‘s pretty goofy.”

Q: Who’s your top musical artist?

A: “Rod Wave.”

Q: What’s your favorite song by Rod Wave?

A: “’Dark Clouds.’”

Q: If you had a walkout song, what would it be?

A: “’Dreams and Nightmares.’”

Q: Who do you think is the greatest football player of all time?

A: “When I was a kid it was LaDainian Tomlinson. But, Deion Sanders.”

Q: Why do you say Deion Sanders?

A: “I feel like he revolutionized the game. I feel like college football is not as much about Colorado now as it is. People wouldn’t be as enthused about college football like they are now. Or like, as it was a couple years ago. Like, when he first started coaching. If he didn’t, change the game. No one’s seen someone move that fast. I think when you think of, like, defensive backs, you think of someone flashy, and someone who plays.”

Q: Who on the team would be your emergency contact?

A: “Alex Herrera.”

Q: Who are your biggest supporters?

A: “My mom, dad and sister.”

Q: Knowing everything you know now, what would you tell your 10 year old self?

A: “Don’t second-guess yourself so much. Just, lead as an individual.”

Payton Liggins can be reached at 581-2812 or at paliggins@eiu.edu.