STEVENS POINT – Every snap, every Sunday, Washington Commanders center Tyler Biadasz remembers how lucky he is.
At Amherst, he craved chaos in the trenches – earning all-state honors on both the offensive and defensive lines in his junior and senior seasons with the Falcons.
Now, on NFL Sundays, that same quiet toughness carries him through the raucous of sold-out stadiums for the Washington Commanders — a reliable presence built on a foundation that hasn’t much faltered since those cold Wisconsin nights.
It’s something he never takes for granted.
“The coolest part is that when I came into the league, there were guys saying, ‘Man, this is awesome — we’re blessed. We’re playing a kid’s game,’” Biadasz said. “They said it with such conviction about how truly grateful we are to be able to play a kid’s game and everything that comes with it.
“That stuck with me. I’ve always carried that with me — because nothing’s changed.”
A fourth-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 2020, Biadasz entered the league around some of the best offensive line talent of the modern era – including all-pro right guard Zack Martin and all-pro left tackle Tyron Smith – both of whom he sought mentorship from.
“They taught me so much in regards to just seeing the game, how to level up your game each and every year, and finding the marginal gains,” Biadasz said. “They gave me a great outlook on what being a professional is. I think both of those guys are going to be in the Hall of Fame. I couldn’t have been more blessed to have them to start my career, in regards to showing me the ropes, but also showing me that you’re unique in your own way.
“It was everything from their work ethic, the effort, the mental toughness side of it, and the need to keep evolving into the greatest version of yourself that you can be – which, to me, was the biggest thing.”
Now a part of the Washington Commander team that went back to the NFC Championship game for the first time in 33 years in 2024 – Biadasz protects one of the most promising young quarterbacks in the league in second-year dual-threat, and former Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels.
He doesn’t miss his days of battling on the defensive line, he takes pride in being at the heart of the offense and working in unison to help the unit flow.
“We set the stage for a lot of what happens,” Biadasz said. “We have that ownership over the line of scrimmage. We love when Jayden can step back, have a clear pocket, and throw a dart down a field. It’s about executing, on first down, second down, critical third down plays, and just whatever is necessary. Whether it’s great tenacity in the run game or owning the line of scrimmage.
“With that ownership, you don’t really need to be super verbal. I feel action shows more, by leading by example.”
This week presents his first return to AT&T Stadium as a Commander, where Biadasz spent his first four NFL seasons and established himself as one of the league’s premier centers for the Cowboys.
He’s focused on how he and his teammates can use this game to build toward their ultimate goals.
“It’s going to be a divisional game, and it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Biadasz said, minimizing any extra pressure that might come with playing his former team. “We’re really excited about how we keep evolving. Even though the ending of last game wasn’t what we wanted, we have a lot of great things that we’ve been doing as a team, and we’re going to try to put it all together and play complementary football and go out and execute.”
Six years into his NFL career, heading into a clash at his first NFL home, Biadasz’s perspective has never wavered.
He feels Sunday will be another wonderful reflection of how far he’s come; just a few years ago he was still grinding at his family’s 1,000-acre Biadasz Dairy Farm, located in Amherst.
Now, he’s clashing with the world’s elite in pursuit of greatness.
“Your’e always reminding yourself that you’re living the dream, and how grateful you are. When you get to Sunday, It’s like, man, you just feel so free,” Biadasz said. “To get to this point, in week seven of year six of my career, against Dallas at Dallas, there’s so much gratitude involved with that.
“I feel truly blessed just to be able to continue doing what I’m doing, it’s awesome.”
Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Reporter Alfred Smith III at alfred.smith@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @AlfredS_III.