Former Iowa Hawkeyes and New York Giants safety Tyler Sash was found dead Tuesday at the age of 27.
A family member came to Sash’s home to walk his dog and found him. He was found unresponsive by emergency service personnel and declared dead. The Gazette says no foul play was suspected.
Sash was a two-time All-Big Ten safety at Iowa and left the Hawkeyes after his junior year to turn pro. He was selected by the Giants in the sixth round and later was a part of their 2011 Super Bowl team. In a column on his death, The Gazette’s Mike Hlas says Sash became persona non grata for the Iowa program because he left school early.
We knew Sash around these parts for the awesome birthday cake he once received and his Tinker Bell blanket at training camp. I also interviewed him in 2012 to promote his watch line. Sash was into fashion and a fun guy to talk to. At the time we talked about his four-game suspension for using Adderall.
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz issued a statement on Sash’s death.
“We are all very saddened to hear about the untimely loss of Tyler. It is always so difficult when it involves someone this young. Our heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to Tyler’s family during this extremely difficult time – and we want them to know they are not in this alone. The commitment, passion, and excitement that Tyler brought to football and to life will always endear him to Hawkeye coaches, teammates, and fans. He touched our hearts in many ways and will be missed by all of us,” he said in a statement.
“Just a sad day. My heart goes out to the family. My heart bleeds for them,” said Todd Hafner, football coach at William Penn University in Oskaloosa. “He did so much in the community with his foundation. He endeared himself by giving back. That’s what is so hard about this. This is more than shocking. It’s a tragic situation. It’s a parent’s worst nightmare.”
Big Ten Network has an excellent roundup of tweets from former teammates about Sash’s death.
