He was feeling that way last weekend, so the former Oregon and Oregon State running back popped open Google Maps, dropped a pin by some trails around Mount Hood, packed up his truck and made the trek east from his hometown of Aloha. It was a chilly November afternoon, with little cloud cover, and the peak of the mountain seemed brilliant.
Since giving up football, Tyner has found solace outdoors. He hunts. He fishes. He often packs up for excursions with friends in the serenity of eastern Oregon, getting as far away from people as possible.
This time, it was just him. He had a phone and appropriate clothing for what he thought would just be a couple of hours in the woods. A few hours in it was just Tyner, silence and the mountain. I never wanted to leave. For much of his life, football was the driver. He grew up in Aloha, a Portland suburb.
He became one of the best high school running backs in state history. He rushed for yards and 10 touchdowns in one game against Lakeridge. He helped lead Oregon to the College Football Playoff national championship game in his final campaign. The speedster will now look to guide an Oregon State rushing attack to more success after it finished a middling 49th in the country in rushing yards per game in its third straight losing season.
It is also home to the best football player in the state of Oregon in Thomas Tyner. Download and subscribe to the The Bridge Podcast. The Oregon offense was fast-paced, up-tempo, and led by one of the greatest quarterbacks to come through Oregon: Marcus Mariota. It was a perfect fit for a determined, punishing runner like Tyner. While Tyner had moments of electricity at Autzen Stadium, there were some lows too.
The five-star prodigy was plagued with injuries and sat behind Bryon Marshall and freshman Royce Freeman on the depth charts. A season-ending shoulder surgery prior to to the season was it for his career at Oregon.
He was on campus at Oregon going to school, but following Oregon State's season closely. Could he really make a comeback after two full seasons off? And would he really be willing to jump across a Civil War rivalry and suit up in his final season of eligibility for OSU?
The NCAA prohibits a medical retiree from returning to play at that same university. He couldn't play at Oregon. It's not an option. So really this isn't about a player picking the Beavers over the Ducks. That's how it will be cast in some households, but not in Tyner's. This decision is more about Tyner deciding he was not going to sit around the rest of his life mired in regret.
Tyner, who totaled 1, rushing yards and 14 touchdowns in two seasons at Oregon, tweeted on Thursday: "'What if,' I hate that thought. As a columnist, I nearly fell out of my chair. I knew Tyner was working out. I was aware he explored the NCAA rules, locating a provision on his own that allows an underclassmen who hasn't participated in two full sports seasons to transfer and be eligible immediately.
But what I didn't know was whether Tyner would actually do it, and that tweet was his first public hint. This is a regret thing. He just wants to get back to football," his father, John Tyner, said. Oregon State has Ryan Nall in the backfield.
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