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Jim Tyrer

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Jim Tyrer
No. 77, 71
Position:Offensive tackle
Personal information
Born:(1939-02-25)February 25, 1939
Newark, Ohio, U.S.
Died:September 15, 1980(1980-09-15) (aged 41)
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Height:6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight:280 lb (127 kg)
Career information
High school:Newark
College:Ohio State
NFL draft:1961 / round: 14 / pick: 188
AFL draft:1961 / round: 3 / pick: 22
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career AFL/NFL statistics
Games played:194
Games started:180
Fumble recoveries:2
Stats at Pro Football Reference

James Efflo Tyrer (February 25, 1939 – September 15, 1980) was an American professional football offensive tackle widely regarded as one of the most dominant players of his era.[1][2] He played 14 years of professional football (1961 - 1974) after an All-American college career for Ohio State University,[3][4] competing in the American Football League (AFL) for the Dallas Texans / Kansas City Chiefs and later in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chiefs and the Washington Redskins. Standing 6'6" tall and weighing as much as 322 pounds during his career, Tyrer was known for his size, quick footwork, and a notably large head, which he used to impose his will on opponents.[5][6][7][8] He played in a period when linemen were prohibited from using their hands for blocking, and defensive players were permitted to use the "head slap" technique—a practice later outlawed due to its brutality.[9][10] Despite the physicality of the era and the demands of his position, Tyrer started 180 consecutive games, a then-record for the Chiefs and every pre-season game (65) in his 13 years with the Texans/Chiefs franchise.[11][12] His 180 starts surpasses all left tackles currently in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Tyrer's 1968 football card

A cornerstone of the Chiefs success, owner Lamar Hunt credited him for helping establish Kansas City as a major sports town.[13] He was a Chiefs team captain four years (1967 - 1971) including the team's Super Bowl IV championship season.[14] Tyrer is often referenced as "the greatest player not in the Hall of Fame," reflecting his lasting impact on the sport and much-debated omission from the Hall.[15]

In the early morning hours of Sept. 15, 1980, to the shock of the sports world, Tyrer murdered his wife, Martha, and then died by suicide.[16] Teammate and author Michael Oriard would later describe Tyrer in the book "The End of Autumn" as "the unlikeliest suicide-murderer to those who knew him." [17]

Tyrer was a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame at the time of the murder-suicide, his first year of eligibility. He did not advance in the selection process again for 44 years when research from Beneath the Shadow filmmaker Kevin Patrick Allen led to a tacit acknowledgement from the PFHOF senior committee that Tyrer likely suffered from brain trauma.[18] On December 3, 2024, Tyrer reached the finalist stage for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2025.[19]

Early Life

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Born and raised in Newark, Ohio, Jim Tyrer attended Newark High School, where he excelled in track, basketball, and, most notably, football. On February 18, 1956, Tyrer’s father, Efflo Tyrer, who served as the city treasurer, suffered a fatal heart attack while attending the Central Ohio League high school basketball championship, which Newark won. The following night, 17-year-old Tyrer led his team to victory in a highly anticipated matchup against Mount Vernon High. He scored 24 points in the 68–62 triumph, later telling reporters, “Dad would have wanted me to play.” [20]

In 1970, Tyrer's No. 77 jersey was retired as he was inducted into the Newark High School Hall of Fame. [21]

College career

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Tyrer played college football at Ohio State University under head coach Woody Hayes, and earned All-America honors. Hayes did not have a helmet that would fit Tyrer. A regular helmet had to be split in the middle and reconnected with a wide strip in the middle. A Riddell Company representative made several flights to Columbus, Ohio to get the changes right.[22]

Professional career

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Tyrer signed with the American Football League's Dallas Texans in 1961. He played 13 years with that franchise (180 consecutive games), which became the Kansas City Chiefs in 1963, helping set the standard for his position at left offensive tackle. His 14th and final season was with the Washington Redskins under head coach George Allen, who preferred veteran players. Tyrer was traded from the Chiefs in late August 1974 for three draft picks.[23]

Tyrer was named AFL Offensive Lineman of the Year in 1969. He and Ed Budde at guard made a powerful left side. In Super Bowl IV, Tyrer and Budde opened holes for Chiefs running backs against the Minnesota Vikings' opposing defensive linemen Jim Marshall and Alan Page, respectively, gaining 151 yards on 42 carries (3.6 yards per attempt) and 122 net passing yards in the team's upset 23–7 victory. Pundits noted that Chiefs' running backs Warren McVea and Mike Garrett, both 5'9" were "camouflaged" by Tyrer, giving them an initial advantage against opponents. [24]

Tyrer was an anchor of Texans/Chiefs' line and was selected as The Sporting News'' AFL All-League tackle eight consecutive years, from 1962 through 1969. He was an AFL Western Division All-Star seven times, in 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968 and 1969 before also capturing a pair of All-AFC accolades in 1970–71. His efforts in the upstart league would result in his selection to the American Football League All-Time Team. Houston Oilers defensive end Elvin Bethea, himself a member of the Professional Football Hall of Fame, described Tyrer as "The preeminent left tackle in all of football. All other blockers I faced in the NFL were mediocre compared to him." [25]

Tyrer announced his retirement in June 1975.[26] He was inducted into the Kansas City Chiefs on February 26, 1977. Tyrer jokingly said he'd been told he'd never win such an honor because "they'd never be able to accumulate enough metal to match the size of my head." [27]

Martha and Jim Tyrer at his induction ceremony to the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame, Feb. 26, 1977.

Family

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Jim and Martha Tyrer had four children: Tina, Brad, Stefanie and Jason. Tyrer's sons, Brad and Jason, went on to college football careers in the Big Eight Conference. Brad played for Nebraska under head coach Tom Osborne from 1983 to 1988, starting his junior and senior seasons. Tyrer and the Blackshirts defense led Nebraska to a win over LSU in the 1987 Sugar Bowl, a close loss to Florida State in the 1988 Fiesta Bowl, and a Big Eight title in 1988 and an appearance in the 1989 Orange Bowl. Jason was a defensive end for Kansas under head coach Glen Mason from 1988 to 1992.

After football

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Following his retirement from football, Tyrer ran his own company, Pro Forma, representing professional athletes in commercial ventures. After the business failed, he transitioned to working as a manufacturer's representative, selling products on the road. He then operated two separate flea market booths in succession before attempting to manage a tire store, a venture that also ended in failure. In the last months of his life, amid unemployment, Tyrer and his wife, Martha, deeply in debt, sold Amway products. [28]

Death

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In the early hours of September 15, 1980, Tyrer attempted to shoot his wife, Martha, as she slept but missed. As she bolted from the bed, he fired a second shot, fatally wounding her, before turning the gun on himself. [29][30][31][32] Three of the Tyrer's four children — 17-year-old Brad, 12-year-old Stef, and 11-year-old Jason — were in the home at the time of the murder-suicide. [33]The afternoon before, Tyrer had attended a Chiefs game at Arrowhead Stadium with son Jason.[34]

Private screening of "A Good Man - The Jim Tyrer Story." Second row, left to right: Dave Lindstrom, Mike Garrett, Ed Budde, Larry Marshall, Jan Stenerud, Jim Lynch, Bobby Bell, Ken Kremer, John Lohmeyer, Kerry Reardon. Front row: Stef Tyrer, Jason Tyrer.

In 2021, the short documentary "A Good Man: The Jim Tyrer Story" by Kansas City filmmaker Kevin Patrick Allen was shown in select screenings, including a gathering of the Super Bowl IV champion Kansas City Chiefs and members of the Tyrer family.[35][36] It led to a more extensive investigation into Jim and Martha Tyrer's deaths and the lives of their surviving children for a yet-to-be-released feature-length film "Beneath the Shadow." In June 2024, the Kansas City Star published an op-ed from Allen that revealed key findings strongly suggesting Tyrer suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) at the time of his death. Among those findings, a specialist who examined Tyrer two days before his death. Dr. Douglas Paone told Allen, “He (Tyrer) had CTE. There’s not a doubt in my mind.” [37] Paone noted that Tyrer was having headaches, abdominal pain and a general feeling of not being himself. When Paone was unable to pinpoint the cause of Tyrer's maladies, Martha Tyrer grabbed Paone by the arm while exiting the office and said, "there's something wrong with him... he's just not the same." [38] Tyrer played in an era where lineman were expected to use their head as a battering ram, and his daughter has stated that the custom helmet he used for his large frame (6-7, 290 pounds) had a half-inch of cardboard lining with no suspension.[39]

In 2024, he was named as a Seniors finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, marking the first time he has been considered by the full board since 1981.[40] Tyrer is one of only two eligible players with at least six All-Pro selections to not be a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[41]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Gregorian, Vahe (February 18, 2022). "Why aren't more past KC Chiefs stars (like Otis Taylor) enshrined in the Hall of Fame?". Kansas City Star.
  2. ^ Nix, JW (May 3, 2011). "Kansas City Chiefs: Best Offensive Players Not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame". Bleacher Report. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
  3. ^ "Jim Tyrer Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  4. ^ Kansas City Chiefs (August 1971). Chiefs 1971 Media Guide (Kansas City).
  5. ^ Turney, John (May 13, 2019). "Pro Football Journal: The NFL's Best-ever Post-WWII Tackles". Pro Football Journal. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  6. ^ "Jul 23, 1973, page 12 - The Kansas City Star at Newspapers.com - Newspapers.com". www.newspapers.com. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  7. ^ Reusse, Patrick (November 15, 2020). "Tragedy, not Canton, became the fate of former Chiefs star lineman". www.startribune.com. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  8. ^ Nix, J. W. "Pro Football Hall of Fame : The Best Players Not Yet Inducted at Each Position". Bleacher Report. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  9. ^ Nix, J. W. "Crazy Canton Cuts: Jim Tyrer". Bleacher Report. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  10. ^ "NFL Rules Named After Players". SI. August 19, 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  11. ^ "Official Website of the Kansas City Chiefs | Chiefs.com". Kansas City Chiefs. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  12. ^ "Tyrer Says 15 is Plenty". The Kansas City Star. July 23, 1973. p. 12. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  13. ^ "Tyrer Best Dish - All 280 Pounds". www.newspapers.com. February 7, 1977. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  14. ^ Judge, Clark (July 22, 2024). "Maybe These AFL Stars Can Gain HOF Attention That Abner Haynes Did Not". Talk of Fame. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  15. ^ Nix, J. W. (May 13, 2011). "Kansas City Chiefs: Best Offensive Players Not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame". Bleacher Report. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  16. ^ Denlinger, Ken (September 20, 1980). "Tyrer Tragedy: No Coping With Mortality". The Washington Post.
  17. ^ Socolow, Michael J. (January 31, 2020). "Does Football Bear Responsibility for a Chiefs Legend's 1980 Murder-Suicide?". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  18. ^ Gregorian, Vahe (December 3, 2024). "How CTE explains why former KC Chiefs great Jim Tyrer is on cusp of Hall of Fame".
  19. ^ "Contributor, coach, senior finalists revealed for Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025". NFL.com. December 3, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  20. ^ "Feb 23, 1956, page 23 - The Zanesville Signal at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  21. ^ "Mar 18, 1970, page 30 - The Newark Advocate at Newspapers.com - Newspapers.com". www.newspapers.com. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  22. ^ "The Lantern 3 February 1960 — Ohio State University Newspaper Archives". osupublicationarchives.osu.edu. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  23. ^ "Redskins get Tyrer". Free Lance-Star. Fredericksburg, Virginia. August 29, 1974. p. 29.
  24. ^ "Dec 17, 1969, page 33 - The Gettysburg Times at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  25. ^ "10 best Ohio State alumni in NFL history". FanSided. April 7, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  26. ^ "Hill, Tyrer end pro grid careers". Lawrence Journal-World. Kansas. Associated Press. June 14, 1975. p. 10.
  27. ^ "Tyrer Hall of Honor article". The Kansas City Star. February 27, 1977. p. 150. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  28. ^ "Sep 27, 1980, page 8 - The Plain Dealer at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  29. ^ "Former all-pro Tyrer kills wife, then self". Toledo Blade. Ohio. Associated Press. September 16, 1980. p. 23.
  30. ^ "Never Forget!". Sporting News. July 20, 2008. Archived from the original on August 30, 2008. Retrieved April 21, 2009.
  31. ^ "Tyrer death KC shocker". Lawrence Journal-World. Associated Press. September 16, 1980. p. 9.
  32. ^ https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/08/05/jim-tyrer-murder-suicide-legacy/
  33. ^ "Sep 16, 1980, page 1 - The Times Recorder at Newspapers.com - Newspapers.com". www.newspapers.com. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  34. ^ Anderson, Dave (September 19, 1980). "Athletes' pride can be painful after sport". Lawrence Journal-World. Kansas. (New York Times news service). p. 15.
  35. ^ Gregorian, Vahe (September 13, 2020). "Forty years later, documentarian puts a fresh lens on the shattering Jim Tyrer story". Kansas City Star.
  36. ^ The Lost Kansas City Chief Remembering Chiefs Great Jim Tyrer - YouTube. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  37. ^ Boren, Cindy (December 14, 2024). "An NFL great with a tragic past gets another chance at the Hall of Fame". Washington Post.
  38. ^ "Family of KC Chief who died of CTE feels shunned by NFL (and wants you to know this)". Yahoo News. November 24, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  39. ^ "Jim Tyrer: Rethinking HOF candidacy". September 28, 2024.
  40. ^ https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/turney-here-s-how-i-see-what-just-happened-with-hall-s-seniors/ar-AA1vlij3?ocid=BingNewsSerp
  41. ^ "NFL First-Team All-Pro Selections Career Leaders". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
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