Autopsy Results Released In Death Of Tyler Sash

Investigators have determined what caused the death of Tyler Sash, the former Iowa Hawkeyes football star who won a Super Bowl with the New York Giants.

After receiving laboratory test results, the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner determined that Sash died from “an accidental mixed drug toxicity involving methadone and hydrocodone. A recent shoulder dislocation and a history of chronic shoulder pain were also significant conditions."

In a press release issued on Tuesday (Oct. 13, 2015), the Iowa Department of Public Health indicated that additional studies for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) are pending and should be completed in about 8 to 12 months. CTE is a degenerative disease of the brain found in athletes with a history of repetitive brain trauma.

Sash, 27, died last month. His body was found by a family member who went to his home in Oskaloosa to walk his dog on Sept. 8.

Sash played safety for the Hawkeyes and started 37 games from 2007-10, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors as a senior. At the time he left the program, Sash was fourth all-time in interception return yardage in the Big Ten Conference, and his 13 picks were fifth-best in school history.

In 2011, Sash decided to forgo his senior season at Iowa to make himself eligible for the NFL Draft. He was selected in the sixth round by the New York Giants and was a member of the Super Bowl XLVI (46) championship squad.

Sash played a combined 23 games with the Giants in 2011 and 2012 before being cut prior to the 2013 regular season.