On a brisk September night just three and a half years ago, consensus five-star Aloha High School running back Thomas Tyner dashed into the Oregon high school record books, darting and juking his way through a porous Lakeridge High School defense, brutally punishing defenders when necessary, ultimately gaining 643 yards on the ground while scampering for ten rushing touchdowns. It was a pinnacle moment for Tyner, a high point in a prep career full of them, a career that saw him set state records in both football and track and field. When he committed to play for his home state Oregon Ducks, the talented freshman was projected by many to contribute immediately as a freshman, growing each season into a well-rounded, perhaps even star college running back.
Tyner had his moments in an Duck uniform, like his unreal spin move versus Stanford during the 2014 season as he raced into the end zone for a 21-yard score, or his 140 yard performance in a 36-35 victory over OSU in the Civil War as a freshman, and especially his sensational Rose Bowl performance on New Year’s Day 2015, when he gained 124 yards on just 13 carries while rushing for two scores in a 59-20 victory over undefeated Florida State University that catapulted the Ducks into the national title game. But for all the exceptional moments of play, Duck fans were increasingly frustrated by his inconsistency and inability to stay healthy. Serving in primarily a backup role in his two healthy seasons, he struggled to break off the chunk yardage, 20+ yard, big-play runs that were the staple of his prep career.
In fact, Tyner’s career long carry in a Duck uniform was just 23 yards, coming in that memorable Rose Bowl performance against FSU. For all his athletic prowess, the sense of captivated excitement and breathlessness he was capable of creating, Tyner did not produce at the level you would expect of a five-star recruit. He was partially a victim of the coaching staff, which did not develop him into the kind of receiving threat out of the backfield that would have better suited his skill set, preferring instead to have Tyner run between the tackles for the majority of his limited opportunities. Nevertheless, Tyner could never consistently capitalize on his opportunities, breaking the 100 yard mark just twice in his career and failing to record double digit touchdowns on the ground in either of his two seasons on the field.
Just getting onto the field, however, became one of Tyner’s most arduous challenges. His 2014 campaign was riddled with shoulder troubles following a kickoff return against Washington in October when he was obliterated by Washington’s Shaq Thompson (now with the Carolina Panthers). Tyner missed the rest of that game as well as the following week’s matchup against California before returning for the next two games. Still troubled by pain in both his shoulders, Tyner sat the next three weeks and did not play again until the Rose Bowl and National Championship games in January. By now, however, the damage had been done. His body battered and broken, Tyner underwent surgery on his left shoulder just weeks before the 2015 opener and missed the entire season.
At one point, Tyner had hoped to return to the University of Oregon football program, but evidently during the grind of rehab something changed, and the immense struggle of dealing with two beat up shoulders became too great a burden to carry. It’s difficult to characterize his time with the Ducks. When healthy, he flashed glimpses of brilliance, but only in small doses, failing to reach the lofty expectations generated by his recruitment. Tyner’s lack of durability became his undoing as a football player, as he never was able to train in peak physical condition for extended periods of time with the U of O program, a development that makes it tough for any player to reach his or her full potential.
Nevertheless, it seems unfair to label Tyner a disappointment or a “bust”, as many fans are undoubtedly doing right now. More than anything else, injuries caused Tyner to be a poor fit within the Oregon football program. He was betrayed by his body in the end, like a football-playing Greg Oden, simply unable to recover from the vicious and cruel pounding that the sport inflicts on its participants in order to reach his immense potential. Off the field, he conducted himself the right way, performing well enough academically, never getting arrested or causing the team any trouble, and behaving like a respectable member of the community, a virtue that seems difficult to find in this day and age. Free of scandal, we’ll remember his career fondly for what could have been, and ultimately wish him well on his next step in life.
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