Standout On and Off The Field

This is the type of story that makes high school football such a special sport to cover.

It's a story from my hometown paper (Morning Call) in the Lehigh Valley in eastern Pennsylvania, and shows why winning isn't everything. It's about Northern Lehigh High School senior Tyler Tkach, and is told by Morning Call Sports Reporter Mandy Housenick.

Tyler finished second in the voting for the 21st annual Jim Henry Award, presented by the Maxwell Club, which is given to the most well-rounded high school football player in southern New Jersey, Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs. But finishing runner-up isn't the story.

It's about this Slatington, Pennsylvania senior dedicating time to help kids with disabilities, and specifically about Ty helping change the life of a fellow student with autism.

This story certainly doesn't surprise me because I know Ty's father Jim, who is a teacher and the former head coach at Northern Lehigh. Coach Tkack is one of the most genuine people you'll ever meet, and he's respected by those who have played for him or against him.

Knowing Coach Tkack, it's not surprising that his son has turned out to be a quality individual. This is definately a case of the apple not falling far from the tree.

Enjoy this story as much as I did.

To read the article from the Morning Call, please click on our headline "A Standout On and Off The Field".

Congratulations to the Ty, the Tkach family and the Northern Lehigh School District.

Jeff