In football, good offensive linemen go mostly unnoticed.
If an average NFL fan knows the name of an offensive lineman, it is probably because he keeps giving up sacks or is constantly being flagged for penalties.
That may be one reason you have not heard of Tyler Polumbus.
He is an offensive tackle for the Washington Redskins and has started 31 games over the past two years. You would think a guy who is 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 305 pounds would be hard to miss, but many casual NFL fans could not pick Tyler out of a huddle.
Yet that does not mean he has not experienced his share of memorable NFL moments.
From Monday Night Football to the Beast Quake
Polumbus made his first NFL start on “Monday Night Football” as a member of his hometown Denver Broncos.
He later blocked for Marshawn Lynch on the play that became known as the Beast Quake during a playoff game against the New Orleans Saints.
“Marshawn broke about 100 tackles to go take the game-winning touchdown in for us,” Polumbus says. “That was an extremely memorable play, one you’ll never forget.”
The play became famous not only because of Lynch’s violent 67-yard run, but also because the noise and movement inside the stadium registered as a small tremor at a nearby seismic monitoring station. Polumbus lined up at left guard and helped create the opening before running downfield behind Lynch. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
Polumbus also played during the Redskins’ seven-game winning streak in 2012, which carried the team into the playoffs and delivered its first division title since 1999.
Last year’s Washington team struggled to a 3-13 record, but 2014 brings new promise.
Mike Shanahan was released as head coach, and the team hired former Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden to replace him. Washington also signed wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who finished among the NFL’s top 10 in receiving yards last season with the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles.
“It’s a new coach, new aura, new offense,” Polumbus says. “It is an exciting time to be a Redskin. We’re ready to see what Coach Gruden brings to the table and how the team clicks.”
A Career With a Greater Purpose
Success on the football field is secondary to faith and family for Tyler.
He sees the opportunity to play in the NFL as a platform to point others toward God.
“One of my greatest fears is to play eight or nine years in the NFL and look back and wonder what I did for God,” he says.
Tyler lives out his faith in front of his teammates day after day. He takes as many speaking opportunities as possible to tell others about his faith, and he gives back to the community through his foundation, Tyler’s Kids Outreach.
Through Tyler’s Kids Outreach, Tyler and his wife strive to enrich the lives of children through family, faith and personal growth.
Tyler also runs an activewear apparel company called Claimed.
He wanted to point others toward Christ even while working out or standing in the locker room after a game.
“The game brings a lot of attention to the names on the front and the back of my jersey,” he says. “I wanted to deflect the attention off of me and onto God. He deserves claim to anything I do on the field.”
His hope is that, through Claimed apparel, others can point people toward Christ simply through what they wear on the field or in the gym.
Claimed by Christ
Tyler sees everything in his life as an opportunity to glorify God.
From loving his wife and children to playing NFL football, everything is centered on living a life teeming with purpose.
A key verse for him is Romans 6:17: “But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.”
Life is bigger to him than simply playing for the Redskins.
“I am a claimed human being,” he says. “I’ve been claimed by Christ in what He did on the cross.”
Even in the hectic life of an NFL player, Tyler has found a way to block out all the meaningless noise and pursue what carries lasting purpose.