By: William Pantages '13

BEREA, OHIO --  Tyler Lohr faces on and off the field issues every day as a junior running back at Baldwin-Wallace College. Because of an unfortunate injury to senior captain and starting RB Tim Miker, Lohr has stepped up as a starter.

But it is far from the first time he has taken on a big challenge.

In April 2005, Lohr was diagnosed with Type 1 one juvenile diabetes. That required adjustments to daily living, as well as maintaining an athletic regimen. But Lohr accepted the medical diagnosis with a can-do attitude.

"I would have never known Tyler was diabetic had I not see him giving himself his daily shots," said Yellow Jacket 10th-year Head Coach John Snell.

Lohr said his mother Linda has been a vital support to him through learning about his condition and how it affects his life.

"My mother did a great deal of research and became extremely knowledgeable about the disease, how it affects a person and what can be done to combat it during every day life," said Lohr, who enters today's game against Ohio Northern University ranked third in the Ohio Athletic Conference with 504 rushing yards and six touchdowns to go along with three 100-yard games, including two straight. "Her research and support as well as the support of my entire family is huge."

Throughout childhood and middle school, before he had been diagnosed with diabetes, he had never touched a football. Lohr played baseball and basketball. But he always thought football would be fun to try. 

After his diagnosis, Lohr became more determined to become the best athlete he could be and excel in everything in which he participated.

"If it wasn't for being surrounded by the right people throughout high school and just my entire life, then I would not be where I am today," said Lohr, who has been instrumental in the Yellow Jackets' 4-1 start to the season.

During his high school athletic career at Kent Roosevelt, he realized that his short stature (Lohr is 5-foot-8) would affect his decision to continue in basketball.  

"Being the shortest one at all the meetings and open gyms just showed me that I didn't belong on the team." He said.

So he began to focus more on football and baseball, excelling in both for three years at Roosevelt. He set a goal of continuing to play sports beyond his high school days.

Besides his mother, Lohr said two other influential people kept him motivated during high school sports. One was his strength and conditioning coach at Roosevelt and another was a friend who died in an accident. He said this friend was basically a brother to him and the loss of him was really tough at the time. 

"These three, I owe my life to and I would not be half the man I am today without them," Lohr said. Lohr said he tries to treat all of his assignments – whether classwork or football practice – with the same passion and diligence.

As he became accustomed to his diabetic condition, Lohr thought more deeply about which sport he wanted to continue in college.  

"I was being recruited by Kent State University to play and baseball, and by B-W to play both. 

I didn't want to choose between the two," said Lohr. "Coach Snell was a very important reason in my coming to B-W, as it was hard to turn down a school that he presented to me."

Eventually, he decided that football was where he could make his best contribution. "Football is full-time and I didn't want to give half effort to it or baseball so that's why I chose to stick with football," said Lohr.

"Tyler was a player who we heavily recruited and who, we as a staff felt, needed to continue the excellence of our program," said Snell. "Tyler has been the hard worker and team-leader that we envisioned since day one."

Lohr had to make some adjustments when he joined the B-W program and it was not easy. During his freshman year, he said he struggled to find his place in the Yellow Jacket offensive system. In high school, he had played running back and defensive back. But in his first college season, he moved to wide receiver on the junior varsity team.

"Freshman year was tough," said Lohr. "Learning a new system and new position was a lot to take on. But my teammates and the coaching staff worked with me to make it happen."

When Assistant Coach Keith Grabowski was named Offensive Coordinator, Lohr thought that would give him an opportunity to switch to running back as a sophomore. He received playing time in all 10 games, earned a letter and played running back and punt returner. Lohr rushed the ball five tmes for a total of 16 yards on the season. As a returner he "recorded five punt returns for 23 yards and he had one kickoff return which ended in a 40 yard gain. "We could tell that he was a special player and we expected big things from him as he has taken advantage of every opportunity we have given him," said Grabowski. "Now, Tyler is a key component of our offense and one of the best runningbacks in the OAC." 

Managing his diabetic condition just continues to be part of living his life. "I don't want to be looked at as anyone different than anyone else on the team. My condition isn't life threatening so I don't want to be treated different," Lohr said.   

Coming into the 2011 season, Lohr was on the depth chart as a backup. "I wanted to make an impact behind Tim, and help us reach our goal of winning an OAC Championship. As hard as we work, we can't settle for anything less," Lohr said.  

Then, during the first play of the first scrimmage at Case Western Reserve University, Miker tore his ACL, an injury that took him out of the lineup for the season. That left the running back position open. 

Lohr was told by Coach Snell and Grabowski that he was the starter and that they had "complete confidence in him and his ability to lead the Yellow Jackets rushing attack." Lohr had reached a goal, but now he decided he had more to accomplish. 

In the Yellow Jacket season-opening 23-0 win at The College of Wooster, Lohr carried the ball 11 times for 55 yards, but fumbled twice.  But that did not stop him or frustrate him.

"That first game could have affected a lot of student-athletes, but not Tyler," said Snell. "He has just worked harder and harder and his work has paid off.

Since the Wooster game, Lohr has had efforts of 119 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-20 win against Heidelberg University, 90 yards in 22 attempts in a 14-11 upset loss to Capital University, 118 yards in 22 carries and a TD in a 17-7 win at Marietta College and a career-high 123 yards and a career-high three TDs in last Saturday's 27-21 win at Otterbein University. For his efforts against Heidelberg, Lohr was named the Dick Miller Outstanding Player of the Game, and he is this week's OAC Offensive Player of the Week.

"To perform like that, especially following what happened at Wooster was really special and I just thought of the people who helped me reach this point of my career the whole time," said Lohr of the Dick Miller award. 

"And, now to be named as an OAC Player of the Week is another great thrill," continued Lohr. "I could never have achieved either award without the great play of our offensive line and receivers." 

Lohr is a criminal justice major and aspires to work in law enforcement as a police officer. But he hopes to stay around the game of football, too. For a while, Lohr thought about becoming a high school teacher. 

"I love that atmosphere [teaching young people and coaching] and knew that would give me the best chance to be a coach and stay around the game," said Lohr. "But ultimately I decided on criminal justice with the goal of being a police officer."

Lohr says that his physical condition is just a small part of who he is today – and he will use it to keep setting goals and reaching them in the future.

FOR MORE B-W Sports Information, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu. or Assistant SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu Fans can access the latest B-W athletics information at www.bw.edu/athletics and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter http://twitter.com/bwathletics.