Manager overcomes odds

On Dec. 7, 2010, Tyler Miller sat in the office of the head football coach, awaiting the arrival of newly hired coach Kevin Wilson.

Excited about the new coaching staff, Tyler had something important to tell his new boss that just could not wait. In fact, he was the first person to greet Wilson upon his initial arrival at the Memorial Stadium office.

“I’m your clock guy,” he said.

Wilson replied back, “Well we don’t really have a clock guy.But we’ll make sure you have something to do with us.”

The rest was history.

The journey to Bloomington

Tyler had always been an IU fan, growing up in Goshen, Ind., with his parents Jeryl and Kim and his younger sister Brooke.

He and Jeryl would watch IU football and basketball games together, sharing the same sports passion like most fathers and sons.

Tyler would have also played sports given the chance. However, there never was one.
Tyler was born prematurely on Oct. 17, 1989, 15 weeks before his expected due date in February.

The length of an unsharpened lead pencil and weighing one pound and 13 ounces at birth, he was given a 5-percent chance of living by his doctors.

“They told us to look at him because that’s probably the only time we would see him alive,” Jeryl said. “He has beat a lot of odds to get where he is today.”

Due to his premature birth, Tyler has a case of mild cerebral palsy, a brain injury that affects his motor skills. Tyler cannot run or participate in athletics.

That never stopped him from being involved with sports teams. As a student at Goshen High School, Tyler was student manager for the football, basketball and baseball teams for four years.

When it became time for him to apply to college, Goshen football Coach Brent Baldwin got Tyler in touch with then-IU Coach Bill Lynch.

Tyler was offered the opportunity to become a student manager for IU football, something he could not refuse.

“He just enjoys being around a team,” Jeryl said. “As an IU fan growing up, it was a perfect fit for him.”

Enjoying the ride

In spring 2009, equipment manager Mitch Gudmundson was preparing for an early morning team workout, when Tyler, a second-semester freshman, walked into the room.

“I’m here for work,” Tyler told him.

Gudmundson obliged. From there, he showed up for every practice and workout. Under Lynch, Tyler operated the clock during practices, and on game day, assisted in pregame drills.

When Lynch was fired

after the 2010 season and the Wilson staff took over, Tyler’s transition was flawless.

Instead of operating the clock, Tyler became the chains operator in practice, assisting in setting up and tearing down the tennis ball machine that wide receivers use.

Meanwhile, he never lost the enthusiasm that he has displayed throughout his four-and-a-half years at IU.

“I loved him from the get-go,” Wilson said. “He’s got a lot of energy, he always does his job and he loves Indiana. He does a great job for us.”

Leaving a family legacy

Now a senior, Tyler will be graduating from IU in December. As a long-time student manager at IU, his duties have grown along the way.

On home game days, he must be at Memorial Stadium four hours before the game and prepare the uniforms for the players. During pregame activities, he assists the kickers with their warm-ups and then the cornerbacks.

At game time, Tyler is on the sidelines, doing whatever work is asked of him, whether it be picking up cups or fixing equipment.

His family is never too far away, maybe a few flights of steps at most. Each Saturday IU plays at home, Tyler’s family makes the four-hour trek from Goshen to
Bloomington just to be with their son.

It was a tradition that continued all the way through his final home game last Saturday against Wisconsin.

“Our entire weekends the past four years have been about IU football,” Jeryl said. “It’s been a lot of fun. We’re going to miss it.”

Before Saturday’s game, the coaching staff honored Tyler during the team’s Senior Day ceremonies.

Assistant Athletic Director Mark Deal introduced him as “T-Dogg,” the nickname given to Tyler during his years at IU.

With both his mom and his dad at his side, he was recognized in front of more than 43,000 people for the work and passion he has put into the program. It marked a milestone for Tyler, one that his family will always be proud of.

“He is a miracle. He really is,” Jeryl said. “Based on what we saw from when he was born to being honored at Memorial Stadium, it’s just a miracle. We’ll never forget that moment.”