THE SPOTLIGHT
TYLER TETTLETON
BY PRESTON McCLELLAN OhioBobcats.com Heading into the 2011 season, there were several questions surrounding the Ohio University football team, but arguably the biggest uncertainty was how would quarterback Tyler Tettleton react to being named the starter? Since being named the starter in the 2011 preseason, Tettleton has answered all the concerns surrounding him, but he has raised new questions, however the questions of 2012 center around - How Good Can He Be? In his first game under center, Tettleton led the Bobcats to a decisive 44-24 road win over New Mexico State, completing 16-of-28 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown. It was the beginning of perhaps the most special season in Ohio football history. Tettleton became the first quarterback in school history to pass for more than 3,000 yards while leading the Bobcats to a 10-4 overall record (6-2 MAC) and the program’s first ever bowl victory. “I’ll never forget that,” Tettleton said. “To win the first bowl game in history, that meant so much. It was something really fun to be a part of.” It was the first 10-win season for Ohio since 1968, thanks in large part to Tettleton’s stellar performance. The then redshirt-sophomore broke 12 single season school records including passing yards (3,302) and touchdown passes (28) He also accounted for 658 yards on the ground and 10 rushing touchdowns. He also set a new standard for accuracy, completing 64.3 percent of his passes while attempting the most throws (415) in a single year en route to earning All-MAC Third Team, Phil Steele All-MAC Third Team and CollegeSportsMadness. com All-MAC Third Team honors. From unheralded starter in 2011 to being on the watch lists for the 2012 Peyton Manning, Davey O’Brien and Johnny United awards as college football’s top quarterback, Tettleton remains cool, calm and collected. “My parents always raised me to be myself and never get too high or too low,” Tettleson said. “I always say talk is cheap; you have go out there and prove
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yourself on the field. I just try to go out there every single day and get better. All those awards and those kinds of things will take care of themselves at the end of the year.” Tettleton identifies each of his parents as his biggest influences in his young life, and it is not hard to see why. Both athletes, Tyler was around sports for nearly all of his life as he often tagged along to his father’s day job - a catcher in Major League Baseball.
and was afforded the unique opportunity to see pros in action from an early age. Tettleton is also quick to credit his coaches at Ohio University as playing a big role in his development at the quarterback position. A talented athlete himself, Tyler knew early on that he wanted to carve his own path through his passion of football.
Mickey Tettleton hit 245 home runs in 14 seasons with four different major league teams. He was also a two-time All-Star catcher. Tyler remembers growing up and being around his father and all the other professional athletes, so it’s easy to see from where his even-keeled demeanor comes.
“I have to say with football, I fell in love with it immediately,” Tettleton said. “My first snap was probably in fourth grade and ever since that first snap I knew it was for me. I moved to quarterback in eighth grade and went from there.”
“My dad being a pro was huge,” Tettleton said. “It allowed me to be around sports and be an athlete my whole life. Growing up watching him play was awesome and allowed me to be a better person and athlete.”
Quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator Gerry Gdowski, who has overseen four offensives that have ranked among the school’s all-time best, credits Tettleton’s work ethic and even keel for the redshirt-junior’s newfound success
Tettleton served as the bat boy for the Texas Rangers at ages six and seven “Tyler (Tettleon) has always been one who works very hard at what he does. I think at that position, whenever you have someone who is willing to put in the extra time with the wide receivers the team begins to see that and feeds off of that time of work ethic. It’s good to have guys that lead by example, especially at that position.” For most athletes, setting 12 single season records and leading the team to its first ever bowl win would be more than satisfying. For Tettleton, he has some unfinished business -- namely winning a MAC Championship. “We want to have a chance to get back to Detroit (and the MAC Championship game) to win that,” Tettleton explained. “We also want to get back to a bowl game and get into the top 25.”
SI.com is one of many national media outlets that have taken notice to the Ohio Football program.
After a season-opening road win over the Penn State Nittany Lions in which Tettleton completed 31-of-41 passes for 324 yards and two touchdowns, Ohio appears poised to accomplish those goals on the heels of Tettleton’s success and leadership. 2012 OHIO FOOTBALL | BOBCAT GAMEDAY
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