Home away from home

Back at George Pierce Field in Suwanee, Tyler walks down the metallic steps of the bleachers onto the turf and roams the field with his parents.

“This is where it all started,” Maurice said.

Instantly, the Goodsons start recalling plays from Tyler’s youth football days. Tyler reminisces over a one-handed interception — from when he still played defensive back — even pointing out the hash mark where it happened. Maurice brings up Tyler’s 80-yard scoring run from last season’s game against Wisconsin and compares it to a scoring scamper of the same distance that saw Tyler zig-zag all over the field and into the end zone.

Felicia grins as she tells the story of Tyler arriving in Georgia on crutches after hurting his knee on the side of a swimming pool back in North Carolina. Still, when Tyler showed up for a youth tryout, he was picked over most of his other teammates. He had the look of a football player.

Tyler went from being the best player on this field to being one of the best players at his position across all of college football. If you ask Tyler, he is the best.

Tyler walks off the field and through the gate of the fence onto the pavement that leads to the parking lot. He remembers out loud the clicking and clacking his cleats would make on the cement while playing for his youth team.

“I always knew I wanted to play football,” Tyler said. “I didn’t know how far it was going to take me, but I wanted to play football.”

It turns out, football took Tyler to a state he never imagined living in, and a school that plays in a conference he didn’t know much about. Tyler heads to the parking lot, talking to his parents about leaving for Iowa in a few days for the start of training camp. A look of excitement takes over his face as he talks about the upcoming season.

For Tyler, Iowa City isn’t home. But it feels like it.