Eastern Michigan Eagles Zone Blitz Defense (1997)

The 1997 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team was an American football team that represented Eastern Michigan University as a member of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season. In their third season under head coach Rick Rasnick, the Eagles compiled a record of 4–7 (4–5 against conference opponents), finished in fourth place in the West Division of the MAC, and were outscored by their opponents, 352 to 329.

The team's statistical leaders included Charlie Batch with 3,280 passing yards, Savon Edwards with 627 rushing yards, and Ta-if Kumasi with 710 receiving yards. Batch went on to play 15 years in the National Football League (NFL).

The defensive coordinator for the 1997 Eastern Michigan Eagles was Neal Neathery. He was in his first season as the defensive coordinator, and he helped to lead the Eagles to a record of 4-7.

Neathery was a former defensive back at Eastern Michigan, where he played from 1986 to 1989. After graduating from Eastern Michigan, Neathery played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Edmonton Eskimos and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The 1997 Eastern Michigan Eagles used a 4-3 defense. The 4-3 defense is a four-down lineman, three-linebacker defense. The four down linemen are typically two defensive tackles and two defensive ends. The three linebackers are typically a middle linebacker, a weakside linebacker, and a strongside linebacker.