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Tyson Gentry (Official Thread)

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Great news. What a courageous man. I love hearing about Tyson and his development and this is some of the biggest news yet! Tyson is one of those guys that will be successful in life because of his will. Can't say there are too many other people around that can go through what this kid goes through while doing the things he does. A true hero! :bow::bow::bow::bow:
 
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This is great stuff.

What an inspiration Tyson is, and from the looks of it, will continue to be.

I believe Tyson is 23 years old. I'm 46 years old which you don't have to be a math major to figure out that I'm twice as old as he is. That being said, I look at myself as "Twice as Old" and someday hope to be simply "half" of the Man that he is. So much that we take for granted every day, Tyson is fighting his Buckeye Butt off every day to re-gain.

Keep up the fight and the hard work, Ty. If anyone can pull this one off, it's gonna be you.

Peace.
 
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WFNY Interview with: Tyson Gentry
May 07, 2009
By: Denny

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Tyson Gentry and Coach Tressel

Back in December, I was asked by Rick to write a guest article about my friend, former Ohio State walk-on Tyson Gentry. At that time, Tyson was nominated for the Orange Bowl Courage award. If you?re not familiar with his story, I recommend first checking out the story from December to familiarize yourself with Tyson?s story. I asked Tyson this week if he?d be willing to do an interview, and he graciously agreed. We talked about his rehab, what the future holds, the 2009 Buckeyes, his apparent selection in the NFL Draft, and this year?s Browns


Denny: First off, thanks so much for agreeing to this interview with me. How have things been progressing in terms of your rehab?

TG: Everything has been going real well, as of late. The therapy I?ve been doing I?ve been up in a harness over a treadmill and I was having problems with the harness causing discomfort, but it?s kind of a good thing and a bad thing. I?ve always had sensation everywhere, but never to the point where the harness is bothering me. (Denny?s note: you can see a video of his treadmill training here)

In the last few months the harness has been a bit more irritating than it was in the past, so I was starting to not enjoy going to therapy because I had to keep getting down off the harness during the session. I?d have to keep getting down to adjust the harness and I wasn?t getting enough time in my four areas - step retraining, step adaptability, stand retraining and stand adaptability. I?m supposed to get a certain number of minutes in each area, and with other people waiting for their sessions, I wasn?t getting enough time in each. Now we?ve got a different system worked out with new padding and so I haven?t had to worry about getting down as much. In the past few weeks I?ve been getting back in my normal rhythm of therapy, and I?ve started to feel good about going to therapy, rather than dreading going in. All in all, things are definitely going real well right now.

Denny: As you?ve continued to work at your recovery, I know there?s been a lot of people that have helped you out - who would you say has been the most important?

TG: There?s different categories with everything - obviously my family has been the biggest help. My parents come down on weekends, or I?ll go back up to visit them. My sister Ashley has been taking care of my when she?s not in school. My older sister is there when she can be, as she?s got things going on with her life as well.

I?ve got friends that come over and hang out, and friends that will call to catch up. Different things like that - there?s a guy that?s in the military and is a drill instructor. He?s been writing me letters since I was in the hospital, and I?ve met him a few times. He?ll write me letters just letting me know what he?s got going on with training and traveling. There have been a lot of people who have been there supporting me and it?s helped a lot.
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WFNY Interview with: Tyson Gentry | WaitingForNextYear
 
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Tyson is an awesome guy! He always exudes a positive attitude and he has continued to work his tail off to get to where he is today. He also has had great support from the OSU football family, but three in particular people stick out in my mind as being amazing freinds to Tyson. His Dad, first and foremost has been with him to work by his side and he also is a very nice man, it is easy to see that he gets a lot of his great attitude from his wonderful family. Matthew Daniels has been a close freind of his, in addition to all the other positive things Matthew has done in the community, he has been a loyal freind to Tyson. And also Ben Kacsandi, another guy who, along with Matt and Mr. Gentry, have been by his side making sure that Tyson has a good group of positive people by his side.

*I know there are many other people that have been by his side helping him out, but those three are the three that I have personally seen going the extra mile for Tyson over the last couple years.
 
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ATHLETICS - Gentry takes the positives
By MICHAEL GRECO
Reflector Sports Editor | Tuesday May 19 2009
[email protected]

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LOU REDA/REFLECTOR Perkins graduate, former Ohio State University football player and current OSU student Tyson Gentry was the speaker during the annual Norwalk Rotary luncheon at the Norwalk High School Performing Arts Center. Two student-athletes from both Norwalk and St. Paul were recognized for their achievments academically, athletically and work through service organizations. They were Katie May and Andrew Woods of Norwalk and Miranda Allen and Adam Pugh of St. Paul.

?I like the idea that people can take a positive message from my situation. The focus from the beginning has been to do something positive from something negative.??

Those were words Tyson Gentry conveyed to both Norwalk and St. Paul student-athletes during Monday?s Rotary Club awards assembly at the NHS Performing Arts Center.

Two athletes from each school ? Andrew Woods and Katie May from the Truckers and Adam Pugh and Miranda Allen from the Flyers ? were seniors recognized for being a student-athlete, as well being involved in different school activities.

Gentry is a Perkins graduate who played football at the Ohio State University.

But during a spring practice in 2006, Gentry, a third-year sophomore walk-on, was hit when he caught pass and suffered a broken C-4 vertebra in his neck. After surgery, he gained movement of his arms.

Gentry continues to rehab five days per week and is scheduled to graduate in June with a degree in speech and learning science.

?I took 10 hours a per quarter after my injury,?? Gentry said. ?It?s been a whole adjustment period. When you do have a setback, there will be an adjustment period. I?ve have great family support and great friends to pick me up.?

His message to those in the auditorium was, ?Overcome any setbacks they may experience, like bad grades. Things always don?t go as planned.??

Gentry takes one day at a time.

?All spinal cord injuries are different,?? he said. ?I?m very happy with where I am. I?m focusing on things can always be worse.??
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Norwalk Reflector | Sports | ATHLETICS - Gentry takes the positives
 
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Michael Arace commentary: Gentry sure to inspire by his life 'in chair'
Monday, June 22, 2009
By Michael Arace
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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NEAL C. LAURON | DISPATCH
"I'm thankful for what I have. I know things could be worse." ? Tyson Gentry, pictured here before last season's Ohio State-Michigan game

Eight days ago, a graduating class of more than 8,000 rumbled out of the house that Chic Harley built. Among them was Tyson Gentry, who rolled out in a motorized wheelchair holding a bachelor's in speech and hearing science. Behind him was six years of oft-interrupted undergraduate work. Ahead is grad school and, probably, a career as a speech pathologist, preferably in a school setting.

Gentry wants to help kids. He also wants to coach football, and maybe track. He will bring a compelling perspective.

In April 2006, when Gentry was a third-year walk-on and a backup punter for Ohio State, he suffered a broken neck during spring practice. While playing receiver to help out the scout team, he caught a pass, took a hit and "fell awkwardly." He has been "in a chair" ever since.

To be a Buckeye and suffer a football accident is to become a semi-public figure in central Ohio. If this is uncomfortable for Gentry, he does not let on. His teammates meant much to him, and vice versa, and he remained part of the program. That was important to him.

When Gentry addresses the subject, he speaks of the people he has met, including others who are "in chairs." He speaks of people who have reached out to him, and those he has been able to help in some small way. He speaks of kids who look to him for strength, and others who merely need a boost in spirit.

To converse with Gentry and his father -- even briefly -- is to marvel at the power of a beautiful family. Gentry's parents, Bob and Gloria, and his sisters, Ashley and Natalie, are always close at hand. Ashley served as primary caregiver after the accident. She has shifted career plans from psychiatry to nursing. They have all maintained a positive outlook.

As Tyson says: "I'm thankful for what I have. I know things could be worse."

For the past year-plus, he has been placed in a harness three to five days a week, and his feet and limbs have been manipulated, by therapists, to walk on a treadmill. These "locomotor training" sessions at OSU's Medical Center are designed to re-teach the spinal cord to control the functions of walking.

Gentry has movement of his head, shoulders, biceps and some of his toes. His trunk is strengthening and he is beginning to feel muscles "fire" throughout his body. But he is a long way from walking.

"I'm sure the benefits -- at least, the majority of them -- have gone unnoticed to this point," he said. "It's small progressions more than anything else, but there are benefits from the standpoint of circulation, bone density, blood pressure, things like that. Simply getting up out of the chair and moving around is beneficial."

Immediately upon graduation, Gentry, 23, began planning for graduate school with OSU officials. This is no small endeavor. Think about a lab course, Gentry said, in which the speech pathologist has to examine and interview a child. It is a "hands-on" project; the pathologist has to show flash cards, or take notes. What is Gentry to do without the use of his hands?
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BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : Michael Arace commentary: Gentry sure to inspire by his life 'in chair'
 
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Gentry has movement of his head, shoulders, biceps and some of his toes. His trunk is strengthening and he is beginning to feel muscles "fire" throughout his body. But he is a long way from walking.
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Congrats on the degree, Tyson.

And it's great to hear that positive news on the physical condition.
 
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Ohio State Football: Parent Q & A: Kurt Coleman

Thought this was a nice response.

Q: What is the hardest part about watching your son play college football?
A: I don?t know if I should say this or not , but I will. It was and is painful to see the serious injury that Tyson Gentry now endures as a result of a tackle. Although Tyson acknowledges that he is a better person because of the injury, it is still painful. I believe that Kurt is a better person, because of Tyson in his life.
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It would really be amazing if Tyson could lead the team out onto the field one day.
 
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