Woodside QB Chooses Army
Woodside Class of 2017 quarterback Tyhier Tyler always had visions of playing College Football at the highest level - Division I or FBS as it is more commonly known now.
Tyler gets to fulfill that playing for Head Coach Jeff Monken and the Army Black Knights, who he gave a verbal commitment to over the weekend.
"What made me choose Army was proximity from home. It's not too far and I have family in New York. Also, the fact they want me to play QB 100% and the lifelong opportunities I have after football," Tyler told VirginiaPreps.com.
"It's honestly a good feeling and a dream come true. I can't wait to run out of Michie Stadium."
The 5-foot-9, 170-pound Tyler was named Offensive MVP at Army's recent camp, where many of his on-field skills were noticeable.
"Camp went pretty good. I got a lot of good feedback. The main thing they liked was my athletic ability and accuracy," commented Tyler.
A number of schools bypassed Tyler due to being smaller than most traditional quarterbacks, something that has served as a motivating factor for him when he takes the field.
"They told me size doesn't matter [and] they know I can play. I play with a lot of confidence and a strong hate for losing. I love the option and feel like I can be a dominant Division I option QB, possibly even Army's Keenan Reynolds," believes Tyler.
"I would describe my game as electric. I make a lot of big plays and consider myself a playmaker. I also take a lot of deep shots down the field. Teams will have to make me take what they give me."
Last season, Tyler completed 85 of 145 passes (58.6% completions) for 1419 yards and an 18-4TD/Int. ratio. On the ground, he rushed for 601 yards and 11 touchdowns on 131 attempts. That earned him First Team All-Conference honors as an athlete, plus was named Second Team All-Conference at QB along with Honorable Mention All-Region.
Woodside Head Football Coach Danny Dodson likes the the future of Tyler, both for his Wolverines in 2016 and beyond that when he gets to West Point.
"I think he'll fit in well and they're excited about getting him. Tyhier is a good option quarterback and the guy has developed quite a bit in the last year," Dodson remarked. "He has a competitive part about him that not everybody has, is very smart and done a heck of a lot for us the last couple years."
Ironically, Tyler will get to play in one of the nation's most storied rivalries at Army against current Peninsula District rival Jeremiah Boyd of Heritage. Boyd has given a verbal commitment to Navy.
"Boyd and me are good friends. We texted each other back and forth," Tyler noted. "It'll be good to play against him on one of the biggest stages with that Army-Navy game for years to come."
Tyler has his sights set on helping Woodside achieve one of their finest seasons in school history and making a deep run in the 6A playoffs with an experienced roster returning for the Newport News program.
"The mindset right now is get bigger, faster, stronger and simply out-work your opponents. We have at least 20 seniors and want to go out with a bang," Tyler said.
"The chip on our shoulder is big. We just want to prove a lot of people wrong."
Matthew Hatfield has covered football and basketball since 2004 for VirginiaPreps.com, part of the Rivals.com Network, and is a staff writer for Tar Heel Illustrated. Check out Hatfield’s Twitter page for more sports related updates, and you can also read his work in the Suffolk News Herald. To contact Matthew, please e-mail hatfieldsports2k4@yahoo.com, and don’t forget to listen to him every Saturday at 10 AM on ESPN Radio 94.1, plus watch him on the Cox 11 Sports Report.