Former NFL Player Tyler Sash Died Due To Lethal Overdose Of Powerful Painkillers – Autopsy To Continue Though

Tyler Sash, a former NFL player, died due to a fatal overdose of prescription medication, confirmed the autopsy.

Former New York Giants safety Tyler Sash, who was found dead at his Iowa home on Sep 8, 2015, died due to ingestion of a deadly concoction of powerful pain medications methadone and hydrocodone, confirmed the autopsy conducted on him. The player had a history of accidents, and he was in the possession of the medications. The Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner submitted the report, which attested the fact,

“Sash died due to an accidental mixed drug toxicity involving methadone and hydrocodone.”

Tyler Sash’s recent spate of painful injuries had him taking powerful painkillers, and it is apparent he must have overdosed. Furthermore, Sash combined two strong pain medications that resulted in his death. The medical examiner noted that a recent shoulder dislocation and a history of prolonged shoulder pain endured by the player could also be “significant conditions” contributing to his death.

Despite the conclusive evidence, the medical examiner hasn’t terminated the investigation. The Iowa State Medical Examiner’s office will now conduct “additional studies” to check whether Tyler Sash suffered from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). Unfortunately, the tests take quite a long time to offer any results and in Sash’s case, it might take about a year, added the Medical Examiner’s office.

Players like Tyler Sash have a history of suffering from CTE, which is caused by repetitive trauma to the brain. Being a former NFL and Iowa safety, Sash had taken many a hit to his upper body and, more importantly, his head. CTE is often hard to detect, and it is a steadily degenerative disease of the brain that is often not found and treated till the very last stage. CTE has been found in several former NFL players, and perhaps Sash was one of the silent sufferers, the medical examiner suspects.

Twenty-seven-year-old Sash was a key player special teams player on the Giants’ 2011 Super Bowl team. Sash, a standout safety at Iowa, won a Super Bowl during his rookie season with the New York Giants in 2012, reported MSN. Despite being a good player, Sash has had numerous run-ins with the law.

In 2012, Sash was suspended for the first four games of the season. He had tested positive for Adderall, a substance banned by the NFL. Sash argued that he wasn’t aware that the substance was banned and that he had a prescription for the same. A year later, Sash again found himself on the sidelines.

In May of 2014, Sash was formally arrested and charged with public intoxication and interference with official acts in his hometown of Oskaloosa, Iowa, reported New York Daily News. Interestingly, he was merely riding his scooter, but without headlights, at 1:30 in the morning. Upon being hailed, he took off and made the police chase him for four blocks before dumping his vehicle and heading for the bushes. When cornered, Sash refused to cooperate, and police officers had to use a Taser before hauling him off to jail. A sober Sash pleaded guilty to public intoxication and was let go with a fine of just $65.

Though Sash overdosed, it is believed that many painkillers are quite addictive and can cause the patient to display symptoms that are quite similar to a drug addict. Anxiety, depression, nausea, or even physical pain can often force the user of the drug to seek additional doses, even when they aren’t needed. Perhaps some of these factors played a crucial part in Tyler Sash overdosing on painkillers, killing himself in the process.

[Image Credit | Justin K. Aller, Jason O. Watson, Brian Bahr / Getty Images]