Tyler Green’s most vivid memory from his first college start offers a window into the mindset of a quarterback who wasted no time gaining the respect of Denison teammates and coaches.
Tyler Green
Green ’28 threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-30 loss to nationally ranked Alma College on Sept. 14, 2024. By almost any measure, it was an outstanding debut for a 19-year-old who had just arrived on campus. But neither his individual stats nor the 21-point, fourth-quarter rally he led is what Green best remembers.
“We drove the ball down the field on each of our first three drives and had to settle for field goals,” Green said. “That’s what sticks out to me. We played well, but we didn’t execute enough plays early on to come out with the win.”
It’s frank analysis that belies his tender age and speaks to the accountability he brings to the offense. Green guided the Big Red to a 6-3 record as a starter and became the first Denison player in program history to win the North Coast Athletic Conference’s Newcomer of the Year award.
He looks to build on that achievement this season, which opens Sept. 6 at Allegheny College – the first of three consecutive road games. It’s a demanding schedule that includes a rematch with Alma College and a season-finale against newest NCAC member John Carroll University.
While the Big Red face stern tests, they do so with one of the conference’s top returning players at the game’s most important position.
“I think we’ll be good,” said Green of a team that finished last season 6-4 overall and 6-2 in the NCAC. “We’ve got a few big games early on so we’ll see where we’re at, but I think we’ve got what it takes. We’re deeper than we were last season at some spots.”
As a first-year, Green ranked among the conference’s top three in virtually every passing category: yards (2,228), touchdowns (28), completions (174-of-261), and passer efficiency (161.1).
But it’s how the quarterback prepared himself to meet weekly challenges that impressed so many in the program. It was the high-level conversations with assistant coaches about game plans. It was hours spent in film study. It was his refusal to make excuses even while playing through a wrist injury on his non-throwing hand during the season’s final four weeks.
“Ty is everything you want in a quarterback,” head coach Jack Hatem said. “He’s got the arm strength, the accuracy and the composure to play the position. But he loves engaging coaches on passing routes, and understanding what everyone else is doing on certain plays. He’s just given us way more than we expected for someone so young.”
A native of Concord, North Carolina, Green faced top-flight competition at Cannon High School. He played against opponents now at schools like Notre Dame, Tennessee and Alabama. That experience, he said, gave him the confidence required to excel in his first year on The Hill.
Off the field, he chose Denison because of its reputation as a strong academic school — ranked No. 2 for best career services among all U.S. colleges and universities.
“Ultimately, I’ll probably want to start my own business, and I knew Denison was a place that would prepare me for my career,” said Green, an economics major.
Another factor in his decision was the Big Red depth chart at quarterback.
While Green saw an opportunity for playing time as a first-year, it didn’t guarantee him the trust of upperclassmen. He began earning it during training camp and solidified his status by winning four of his first five starts. His ability to stand in a collapsing pocket and make plays is an attribute that can’t be taught.
He also avoided negative plays that often plague young quarterbacks. Green threw just six interceptions in nine starts.
“We believed in him right away,” receiver Cade Nowik ’26 said. “I know he was a freshman, but he didn’t play or act like one. It was pretty easy for us to get behind him.”
Green and Nowik will be teammates on two Big Red teams this school year. With his wrist healed, Green plans to play baseball in the spring.
Football remains his first love, however, and since childhood he’s enjoyed nothing more than playing quarterback.
“I just want the ball in my hands and to be able to make plays for my teammates,” Green said. “It’s my responsibility to put us in the best position to win games.”
To the delight of Denison fans, he’s got three more seasons to do it.
