Former New York Giants safety and Super Bowl champion Tyler Sash has died, Iowa state's medical examiner's office said Tuesday, Sept. 8. He was 27 years old.
Authorities told reporters that emergency services were called to a residence on Tuesday morning following reports of an unresponsive male who turned out to be Sash. Foul play is not suspected and an autopsy will be carried out today, Wednesday, Sept. 9, to establish a cause of death.
Sash played for the Iowa Hawkeyes from 2007 to 2010, and then played two seasons with the New York Giants, winning a Super Bowl ring in 2011.
"We were all deeply saddened today to hear of the passing of Tyler," the Giants said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to Tyler's family and friends and all the Hawkeyes he was so proud to represent."
Paki O'Meara, a former Iowa running back and teammate of Sash, described him as a quiet guy who came alive on game day.
"To think of somebody that was so selfless and gave so much, such a good guy, I'm just really shocked," O'Meara told radio station KXNO in Des Moines.
Sash was suspended from the New York Giants for four games in 2012 after testing positive for Adderall, a stimulant used to treat ADHD. Sash claimed he had a prescription for it and wasn’t aware it was banned under NFL policy.
He left the team prior to the 2013 opener, after reaching an injury settlement for a concussion sustained during the preseason finale against New England.
He was arrested in May 2014 in Oskaloosa, Iowa, after leading police on a four-block chase on a motorized scooter. He later pleaded guilty to public intoxication and was fined $65.
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz canceled his weekly press conference Tuesday, and later addressed Sash's death in a statement. "We are all very saddened to hear about the untimely loss of Tyler," he said. "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."
