By Heath Bradley.

The Tigers took the practice field in full pads today for the first time in fall camp for the 2012 season. This day was especially important for Tyler Shatley, a redshirt junior, as it was his first time entering fall camp as a member of the Clemson offensive line. “It felt good to get the pads on today. Down in trenches it really don’t make too much of a difference to us because we are beating and banging all the time. It is nice to get the pads on and do some short yardage and see what kind of stuff we have.”

Shatley spent the first three seasons of his Clemson career as a defensive tackle. However, Shatley is no stranger to the offensive side of the ball. He entered Clemson in 2009 as a highly rated fullback and tight end, playing in the Shrine Bowl as the fullback for the North Carolina Team. After arriving, Shatley made the move to defensive tackle and redshirted the 2009 season. The 2010 season saw Shatley make his debut for the Tigers appearing in 12 games, recording 11 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in 127 snaps. As a key backup at defensive tackle in 2011, Shatley recorded 30 tackles in 14 games including two starts.

Following the completion of the 2011 season, the coaches approached Shatley with the idea of moving him to the offensive side of the ball. Being the team first player that Shatley is, he agreed to the move, one that was not only best for the team but also best for his future. Shatley is one of the strongest players on the team; he was named a first-team strength All-American in 2011. The coaches hope he can translate this strength into protecting the passer and playing a key cog on an offensive line that only returns two starters from 2011.

Offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell has been very high on Shatley during his move to offensive guard. Caldwell recently told reporters that Shatley was picking up the system faster than any player in his 30 years of coaching. This speaks to the type of player and person Shatley is, his hard work mixed with his toughness is exactly what you want to see in an interior offensive lineman. Making the transition from defensive line to offensive line may seem very difficult, especially in an offensive scheme like Clemson’s, but Shatley says that there are many things that are very similar. This similarity has allowed Shatley to pick up on the offensive scheme very quickly. “I feel pretty good about it, it is a simple scheme, a lot of it is the same for offensive linemen. It is just different motions and different players doing the same things. It makes it seem like we have a lot of schemes, but really on the offensive line we just have a few schemes.”

While this will be his first season on offense, Shatley will bring a veteran presence to the offensive line. A player who leads by example, his hard work on the practice field and in the film room will hopefully show younger players what it takes to be successful at this level. “When we go in there to watch film we do it together. I always try to take a tackle or center because we are working so much together. It is a lot more beneficial when we go in there as a group.”

Shatley has always done what was needed of him during his time at Clemson. From transitioning to defensive line when arriving as a freshman, to making this move to offensive line halfway through his career, he has always put the needs of the team first. Expect Shatley to step in and make an immediate and positive impact on the offensive line this fall.