Former Monroe wrestling star now shining on football field with Red Storm

Tyler Hammack closed the book on a significant chapter of his life three years ago.

Hammack was a four-year varsity wrestler at Monroe High, setting a school record his senior year for most wins in a season. He went on to a distinguished career at Heidelberg University where he was a two-time national qualifier and three-time Academic All-American.

He won 79 matches in his collegiate career – 25th all time in Heidelberg history – and competed in his final bout March 2019 at the NCAA Division III National Championships. He was just the 20th wrestler in program history to qualify twice for nationals.

"It was really fun," he said. "I met a lot of really great people, and going to school there definitely set me up for a lot of success in the outside world."

Since graduating, Hammack now lives and works in Toledo.

But something was missing.

"The wrestling portion of my life is done," Hammack said. "I can't really compete in much unless I go do open tournaments, but I really wanted to stay active.

"Football seemed to be the best fit."

Hammack has a new outlet for his athletic aspirations back home where it all started in Monroe. The 2015 Trojan graduate has found his place on the football field with the Southeast Michigan Red Storm.

Being a Trojan is still a large part of Hammack's identity.

After graduating from Heidelberg, Hammack was asked by Monroe wrestling coach Jordan Mayes to help out with the school's varsity program. Mayes was an assistant coach with the team when Hammack wrestled at Monroe.

Hammack is going into his third season as assistant coach at his alma mater.

"It's been a great experience," he said. "I don't think I'd ever want to coach anywhere else because I would never want to coach against the school I graduated from. It's been different seeing it from a coach's perspective rather than somebody who was on the team."

Hammack has loved seeing how the kids in the program have grown over the years.

"I love seeing the guys that I've worked with since the youth program," he said. "When they were in the youth program, I was just finishing high school. The high schoolers help out with the youth program and now I can see their progression and growth. What they've learned and picked up has been good to see."

Being a wrestler has helped Hammack transition back into football.

"A lot of the greatest football players wrestled at some point," Hammack said. "I think a lot of my athletic ability comes from the wrestling side of things."

Red Storm head coach Taylor Bates said that Hammack's athleticism stood out the most when he came out for the team's first workout in February.

"Oh yeah. He's strong. He's a fighter," Bates said. "I love his attitude, too. He has a leader attitude. At practice, he'll speak his mind and if somebody isn't doing something right, Tyler will speak up. That makes a good leader."

Football is not a foreign sport to Hammack.

He was on a club team at Heidelberg University and also played his first two years at Monroe before turning his focus to wrestling.

"I really had to make a decision between playing football and wrestling in high school because I knew I wanted to focus on one sport," Hammack said. "I really had a better chance of getting to the next level (with wrestling).

"I've always loved football, but it's just something I didn't view as a priority at the time."

The Red Storm have helped Hammack get back into the game and the transition could not have been easier. He was hooked from the first workout, he said.

"We had a lot of people show up that first day, so it was a resounding feeling knowing that so many other people wanted to be part of the team, especially with it only being a second-year program," he said. "And just how the coaching staff were holding themselves. It was a breath of fresh air. Very professional."

Despite limited experience, Hammack never felt out of place. He has slotted in at tight end in each of the first five games for the Red Storm this year.

He had a season-high eight catches for 102 yards two weeks ago to help guide the Red Storm to their first victory – a 28-22 overtime thriller against the Flint Fury. Last week against the West Michigan Patriots, he had 4 receptions for 35 yards and made a long downfield catch in a critical moment that was called back after referees claimed it hit the grass first.

"I think our passing game has gotten better and better," he said. "The chemistry is really starting to grow with (quarterback Mike Tucker) and the wide receiver group along with myself and the other tight ends. I only expect it to get better."

Coach Bates said that Hammack's ability to both catch the ball and block on the line have been an advantage to the team.

"He's not scared to go into the middle to catch the ball. He's very good at that," Bates said. "And he's a heck of a blocker. He don't stop. When he's blocking, he'll block until the whistle blows."

The Red Storm took a step back this past weekend with a 27-7 loss to the Patriots, but the game was closer than the score indicated. The team found the end zone only once on four trips into the red zone in the first half.

"Getting the ball that close, you definitely have to punch one in," Hammack said. "That can make or break your game. We've seen that a few times this year. ... Definitely something we have to work on as a team."

The Red Storm will look to put that loss behind them this weekend when they host a game at 6:30 p.m. Saturday against the Michigan Gators at Navarre Field.

The Gators are 2-1 in the Midwest Elite Football League standings while the Red Storm sit at 1-2. The Gators won 33-12 last year against the Red Storm.

"They were pretty good (last year), but they're also beatable," Bates said. "We're going to look at some film and make a game plan."

The Red Storm hope to get a boost by the return of running back Christian Burks who missed last week's game. Having a more dynamic running game will only help open up the Red Storm's strong passing game more, Bates said.

"It means a real lot," he said. "That opens up more things we can do."

The team is ready to put the Patriots loss in the past.

"We've already talked about it," Hammack said. "The game is over now. It doesn't matter. We battled through a lot of adversity to win the previous week and then didn't execute like we should have on Saturday. I fully expect the team to erase that memory and be ready to play the Gators."

Win or lose, Hammack said the team has never waivered in its brotherhood and commitment to each other. The atmosphere during practices and games has been nothing but supportive and continues to be the reason Hammack has found a home with the Red Storm.

"One thing I pride myself on is that I throw myself into everything 110 percent," Hammack said. "I knew when I came out to that first practice that there was no turning back. I'm going to be there until the end for sure."

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Former Monroe wrestling star now shining on football field with Red Storm