According to the twenty-year-old sports writer, suffering from a rare bone cancer, "Three months ago, doctors gave me three months to live…but, by the grace of God and the generosity of Colts' owner Jim Irsay, here I am."
"Here" is Nashville, Tennessee, where Tyler Trent's beloved Boilermakers (6-6) face the favored Auburn Tigers (7-5) in Nissan Stadium today, Friday, December 28 (ESPN). This will be the first time these football teams have met.
Tyler Trent is the honorary Captain of the Music City Bowl.
This young man is beloved by the Purdue football team and staff, as well as the university and surrounding community.
But it was only this past fall that Tyler Trent's harrowing story rocketed out of Indiana and into the national spotlight when he boldly predicted that Purdue would defeat Ohio State.
On October 19, 2018, an ESPN interviewer asked Tyler about the future, presumably inquiring about his cancer prognosis. But Tyler's response focused instead on the next day when his Boilermakers would face the seemingly invincible Ohio State Buckeyes.
"The immediate future in my mind? Purdue beats Ohio State."
The ESPN video of Trent's story and subsequent prediction went viral, being viewed more than 20 million times on the internet. goo.gl/s4fgsW
Though he was virtually alone in making this call, the next day his Boilermakers soundly defeated the Buckeyes, 49-20…and miraculously, he was well enough to experience the historic moment in person, even offering a short post-game speech in the rowdy Purdue locker room after the game.
Tyler had never worn a Purdue jersey or helmet on the field, but he had become a key member of the team.
This game provided the underlying metaphor of Trent's book "THE UPSET: Life, Sports, Death, and the Legacy in Between."
On October 19, 2018, an ESPN interviewer asked Tyler about the future, presumably inquiring about his cancer prognosis. But Tyler's response focused instead on the next day when his Boilermakers would face the seemingly invincible Ohio State Buckeyes.
"The immediate future in my mind? Purdue beats Ohio State."
The ESPN video of Trent's story and subsequent prediction went viral, being viewed more than 20 million times on the internet. goo.gl/s4fgsW
Though he was virtually alone in making this call, the next day his Boilermakers soundly defeated the Buckeyes, 49-20…and miraculously, he was well enough to experience the historic moment in person, even offering a short post-game speech in the rowdy Purdue locker room after the game.
Tyler had never worn a Purdue jersey or helmet on the field, but he had become a key member of the team.
This game provided the underlying metaphor of Trent's book "THE UPSET: Life, Sports, Death, and the Legacy in Between."
Scheduled to release March, 2019 (Core Media Group, 260 pages, $24.99), the book features a Foreword by Trent's friend and ESPN anchor, Scott Van Pelt, as well as endorsements from many influencers in the world of sports and media.
Tyler Trent has had this kind of impact.
"THE UPSET: Life, Sports, Death, and the Legacy in Between" can be pre-ordered online beginning Dec. 28 at tylertrentbook.com.
A portion of every purchase on this website will be donated to cancer research in Tyler Trent's name…and to help families facing cancer.
Excerpt from The Upset:
Every night, until I felt I had grown out of it, my mom would sing the lyrics to "You Are My Sunshine" as she tucked me into bed. Her sweet voice lifted my spirits. Every time. I didn't realize until sometime later how much these few, seemingly happy stanzas would impact me in such a lasting way.
The first three lines are filled with such joy, so much so that it's easy to somehow sing right past the tragic potential of pain tagged onto the end…
Please don't take my sunshine away.
When Mom sang to me, never in her wildest dreams—or even her most graphic nightmares—did she ever imagine that her "sunshine" might actually be taken away. But when I was fifteen years old, our family began living life in the last line of the song—in a place where a terminal illness threatened the very joy of life itself.
To all people in this world—including you—who face everything that makes us suffer these fears of both the known and unknown found in cancer or in any of the other infinite difficulties of life—our family has joined your ranks. You are not alone. Together, we are the broken. We are the suffering.
We are the upset.
But there is hope for all of us who are among the upset—for me and for you. It is found in another kind of upset that is quietly brewing… one that beats the odds, ensuring our sunshine remains even if our lives are taken away.
Tyler Trent has had this kind of impact.
"THE UPSET: Life, Sports, Death, and the Legacy in Between" can be pre-ordered online beginning Dec. 28 at tylertrentbook.com.
A portion of every purchase on this website will be donated to cancer research in Tyler Trent's name…and to help families facing cancer.
"Most people never see their legacy come to pass while they are still alive," Tyler's dad Tony Trent, said. "We would love for Tyler to tell his story and reach his goal for cancer research, supporting families who are battling cancer."Tyler and his family's dream is to raise at least one million dollars to help defeat this horrible disease.
Excerpt from The Upset:
Every night, until I felt I had grown out of it, my mom would sing the lyrics to "You Are My Sunshine" as she tucked me into bed. Her sweet voice lifted my spirits. Every time. I didn't realize until sometime later how much these few, seemingly happy stanzas would impact me in such a lasting way.
The first three lines are filled with such joy, so much so that it's easy to somehow sing right past the tragic potential of pain tagged onto the end…
Please don't take my sunshine away.
When Mom sang to me, never in her wildest dreams—or even her most graphic nightmares—did she ever imagine that her "sunshine" might actually be taken away. But when I was fifteen years old, our family began living life in the last line of the song—in a place where a terminal illness threatened the very joy of life itself.
To all people in this world—including you—who face everything that makes us suffer these fears of both the known and unknown found in cancer or in any of the other infinite difficulties of life—our family has joined your ranks. You are not alone. Together, we are the broken. We are the suffering.
We are the upset.
But there is hope for all of us who are among the upset—for me and for you. It is found in another kind of upset that is quietly brewing… one that beats the odds, ensuring our sunshine remains even if our lives are taken away.
