Roughly 12 years ago, Tina Lillard is given news that no mother ever wants to hear.
“Your son has a brain tumor.”
At just eight years old, IU wrestler Tyler Lillard had fallen extremely ill and was experiencing seizures. When he was brought to the hospital, doctors diagnosed him with a brain tumor festering on his right optic nerve, leading to chronic epilepsy. Tyler, who was an avid wrestler, was pulled from the sport because his mother thought it would be the safest option.
At the time, Lillard was a member of Morris Fitness Wrestling Academy. When Coach Charlie Morris heard that Lillard’s mother was pulling him, he interjected.
“Coach told my mom ‘Your kid might die,’” Lillard said.
Coach Morris informed the two that inactive epileptic children often succumb to the condition, passing away. Upon hearing this, Tina allowed Tyler to wrestle. This would be the first of many times that Lillard would have to overcome adversity in order to keep wrestling.
In this extended interview, Lillard gives insight into the adversity he has overcome.
As Lillard continued his wrestling career, he and his mother moved to Cleveland, Ohio where Lillard would attend St. Edward High School, a private Christian school known for its prestigious wrestling program. However, things took a negative turn very quickly.
Lillard was often the subject of racial profiling and discrimination, having edited pictures of him in blackface sent throughout the school.
“Boys will be boys” was the only explanation that he and his mother were given.
At this point, Lillard once again considers quitting. With no father in the picture, it’s just him and his mother. At the time they were bouncing around hotels for residence, as they were struggling to find housing in Cleveland. Because they were constantly sharing a hotel room, Lillard’s teammates would make fun of him for “sleeping with his mom.”
As the months went by, the harassment continued, and now, living in a house, Lillard stood in his kitchen contemplating suicide. He stands over a trash can looking at his right wrist. The world around him is nothing. Nothing but him, a trash can, and a green kitchen knife. He stares at his wrist. Seconds are hours. He stares at the knife. He looks back and forth. Knife. Wrist. Knife. Wrist. He sees his veins lightly poking out of his arm.
“I wanted to do it,” he said.
He hears his mother calling him from another room. He makes his decision.
“I can’t do it.”
Tina Lillard talks about helping her son achieve his dreams.
Eventually, Lillard transferred from St. Edward’s High School to Aurora High School. Tyler also started counseling, where he was diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and PTSD. At Aurora, he was fully supported. The staff and team were friendly and they let him start in his first season. Unfortunately, adversity would once again make itself known in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID cancelled Lillard’s final season, and because of this, he did not have the ability to build a reputation and earn accolades to get recruited to colleges. He would have to move schools again to wrestle before college.
His next destination was Wyoming Seminary Prep, in Pennsylvania. Eventually, he got the accolades he needed, raking in the 2020 Journeyman Championship, 2021 Journeyman Championship runner-up, and the 2021 NE Regional FS runner-up. The calls came in. Twenty-six D-1 schools contacted Tyler. Indiana was not one of them.
Tyler makes some calls of his own. He calls Angel Escobedo, a recruiter for Indiana University Wrestling. By some miracle, Lillard gets a response. Escobedo is more than interested. Lillard committed immediately, and finally, he was now a Big Ten Wrestler.
Lillard is now a redshirt sophomore. He continues to prepare for another season, ready to take on more adversity. He is dedicating this season to his late brother, who passed away earlier this year.
