Autopsy: Former NFL Player Tyler Sash Overdosed on Pain Meds

Former NFL and Iowa safety Tyler Sash died from an accidental overdose after mixing two powerful pain medications. Sash had suffered a chronic shoulder injury.

Former NFL and Iowa safety Tyler Sash died from an accidental overdose after mixing two powerful pain medications in the wake of a chronic shoulder injury, a medical examiner said Tuesday.

Additional studies will look at whether Sash, 27, suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease caused by repetitive trauma that has been found in several former NFL players. The results will be available in eight to 12 months, according to a statement from the Iowa State Medical Examiner's office.

Sash, a standout safety at Iowa who won a Super Bowl during his rookie season with the New York Giants in 2012, was found dead at his home in Oskaloosa, Iowa, on Sept. 8. An autopsy was conducted the next day, but the results weren't clear until laboratory results were completed.

The autopsy determined the cause and manner of death was an "accidental mixed drug toxicity involving methadone and hydrocodone," the office said Tuesday. Both are legal narcotics used to relieve severe pain, but are also highly addictive.

The medical examiner said that a recent shoulder dislocation and Sash's history of chronic shoulder pain were also "significant conditions" in the death.

Oskaloosa Police Chief Jake McGee said investigators learned Sash had a doctor's prescription for hydrocodone but are not sure about how he obtained methadone.

Polly Carver-Kimm, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner's office, said she couldn't release any additional information about the pending CTE testing, including where it would be conducted.

Sash played two seasons with the Giants. Months after the team's 2012 Super Bowl victory, Sash tested positive for Adderall, a stimulant used primarily to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and the sleep disorder narcolepsy, and was suspended for four games.

The Giants cut ties with Sash prior to the 2013 opener, reaching an injury settlement after Sash suffered a concussion in the preseason finale against New England.

While in college at Iowa, Sash started 37 games for the Hawkeyes from 2007-10, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors in his final season. He bypassed his fourth year of eligibility to enter the NFL draft.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz told reporters Tuesday he was "very sorry to learn about" Sash's cause of death.

"His passing has been a very, very sad thing," Ferentz said.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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