A ‘Hometown Giant’ Strives To Give Back
World Champion NY Giant and Oskaloosa Native Tyler Sash leads the entire Oskaloosa Elementary School in the 'Interlude' dance Wednesday morning
Oskaloosa, Iowa – After helping to win the Super Bowl, one might think an extended vacation might be in order, but for Oskaloosa native Tyler Sash, it’s the perfect opportunity to give back to his community.
The students at Oskaloosa Elementary got to start their day off right with a visit from the towns ‘Hometown Giant’, as he spoke with them about the importance of character and to show how much all of the letters of support from the students meant to him. The students from the school had sent over 800 pieces of mail, that arrived to his hotel room the Wednesday before the Super Bowl.
Sash’s visit to the school isn’t his first. The former Oskaloosa Indian, turned Iowa Hawkeye, was a regular visitor to the school before turning pro.
On his support from the students, Sash stated, “All of the support I’ve received; throughout the community; every school; it’s pretty remarkable. Anytime that I can give back to my community or my schools. Whatever I can to help people out, to show them I appreciate things that they do for me.”
A little known fact about Tyler is that basketball was his favorite sport, but he used the opportunity to help teach the students about keeping an open mind. “Just try to stay involved as much as you can with different things. Don’t just limit yourselves to one or two things. It doesn’t even have to be in sports. It can be in music; it can be in theater; it can be whatever.”
Sash said that growing up, his family was “always just a sports family”. “My older sister was just as good as me in every sport,” Sash said about the competitive nature shared in his family. Tyler and his dad both played college football, all the while they instilled in him that the NFL stood for ‘Not For Long’.
An early morning assembly had NY Giant and Oskaloosa native Tyler Sash at the elementary giving back after the students sent him around 800 pieces of mail just before the Super Bowl
That thought is what is behind his desire to share with the students to not limit themselves. “No matter what, don’t limit yourself or say, I’m not going to do anything else. You never know what leads to different opportunities that are going to be presented to you. You can always accomplish more things if you keep your mind open.”
“Free time” is the thing that has most changed for Tyler since winning the Super Bowl. “To be on a team where you accomplish so much, to do what we did… and to be known as a world champion, it’s a pretty crazy feeling and I think it will take me a little while to really appreciate it.”
He said the decision to leave Iowa and turn pro was a difficult one. Sash always looked to Iowa as the “professional team” in Iowa. Knowing that he would have been a team captain and along with his respect for Coach Ferentz , “It was a very tough decision for me, but I prayed about it a lot and talked to my parents”, Sash said. He continued by saying that, “I’m glad that I made the decision that I did.”
I asked Tyler how Oskaloosa feels different now, since having been out of town and staying in the New York area for the season. “You know, the traffic isn’t as bad in Oskaloosa as it is in New York; that’s one difference. I like to come back here because it puts things in perspective for me. This is where I’m from.” Going on, Tyler stated, “Even though I’m playing in the biggest city in the world, I still love being back in Oskaloosa, Iowa.”
Tyler along with his foundation of “#GBNB”, or Get Better Not Bitter, are working to help fill the many requests that come in daily for help in supporting their causes; sometimes as many as 10 a day.
