Few would have predicted that the Atlanta Braves' "Beat the Freeze" promotion would become the sensation it did when it began in 2017. Granted, it was mostly a viral clip factory for the reactions from hapless fans running and being overtaken by the Freeze and either having their minds blown or literally falling on their faces, but the between-innings promotion has become a key part of the game experience at Truist Park over the last several years.
When there was a job posting for a new "The Freeze" posted earlier this offseason, it was a reminder that the man running in the light blue suit during games has changed over time. However, one could not help but wonder what happened to the original "The Freeze", Nigel Talton.
Well, the Atlanta-Journal Constitution's Alexis Stevens figured that out in a recent article. In Stevens' piece, she sat down with Talton and, as it turns out, the original "Freeze" is a flag football coach and special education paraprofessional at an Atlanta-area high school.
Formerly "The Freeze" with the Braves, Nigel Talton has moved on to teaching and coaching high school
First of all, Talton deserves a lot of praise for becoming a special ed. parapro. As a husband of a teacher, the work that special education teachers and paraprofessionals do takes a special person with a patient and giving heart to do at all, let alone do it well. It sounds like he is loved at McEachern High School and he loves what he does. Good on him for that.
In the piece, a lot of attention was given to his coaching responsibilities which include track (duh) as well as coaching the girl's flag football team. Talton clearly knows that being "The Freeze" was a blessing for a guy that had previously just been a member of the Braves' grounds crew and he has taken that opportunity and turned it into a career helping students achieve their goals.
This offseason is not the first time the Braves have had to replace "The Freeze" and it certainly won't be the last. After all, the age window for the type of speed required to embarrass fans on the regular is narrow and being "the Freeze" isn't exactly a long-term career path with opportunities for advancement. However, as Talton has shown all of us, it is an opportunity to put smiles on peoples faces and add to what is turning out to be a storied lore for the Braves franchise. In Talton's case, it took that opportunity and extended further than he ever could have done running races on the warning track at Truist.