Tyler Trent’s courageous cancer battle has touched a wide variety of people, from Vice President Mike Pence to Purdue football coach Jeff Brohm and his entire team to Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, a Purdue graduate, texted an encouraging video to Tyler. Pence called and wrote. Brohm, several football players and Vinatieri have visited his Carmel home.
It’s hard for Trent to put into words how he has impacted others, but he knows how their support has impacted him.
Trent, 20, had to withdraw from Purdue in September as his condition from osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, made him too weak to attend school. He was presented with an associate’s degree from Purdue when the dean of Polytechnic Institute visited him Oct. 1. Trent received the Purdue Alumni Association’s inaugural impact award Oct. 4
“Being a sports reporter (for the Purdue Exponent) and knowing some of the guys on the teams have had a great impact on who I am and what it means to be part of the Purdue community,” Trent said. “I think Jeff Brohm has done a great job of setting that standard there for his guys to follow.”
Trent said he draws strength from the Purdue community support.
“Purdue has allowed me to come in and share my story with some of their individuals,” Trent said. “I also draw strength through my faith.”
Trent graduated from homeschooling in May 2017.
“One, I enjoying writing, and two, I love sports,” Trent said. “I wanted to get my foot in the door in the sports world because I wanted to go into sports analytics.”
Trent, a Colts and Indiana Pacers fan, describes himself as a diehard Chicago Cubs fan.
“I went to at least a game for 11 consecutive years until I couldn’t go this summer because of my health,” Trent said. “So, that was hard for me, not being able to get out to Wrigley.”
Trent first gained media attention when he and a friend from Carmel, Josh Seals, camped out the night before Purdue’s home game with Michigan in September 2017. Trent had come straight from a chemotherapy session. His Twitter, @theTylerTrent, has nearly 3,500 followers.
Trent covered the Big Ten basketball tournament in New York for the Exponent in March. He said he was having back pain issues while in New York.
“Before I flew out to New York, I had a biopsy and through that they found a new tumor,” Trent said. “I didn’t find out until I got back from New York that I had a relapse and had osteosarcoma for the third time.”
The cancer has spread to the point where it’s untreatable, his mother Kelly Trent said.
“I’m thankful for Tyler. He’s all about leaving a legacy and making an impact, and he’s been able to do that through this hardship,” Kelly Trent said. “We’re just keeping him as comfortable as possible.”
Members of the Purdue football team brought Trent the game ball the day after winning at Nebraska Sept. 29. Brohm visited later that week.
“The Tyler Trent situation is special to us, and we are hopeful he continues to fight the fight the way he has the whole time with great courage and energy that others wouldn’t have in that situation,” Brohm said at a recent news conference.
Prior to Purdue’s game with visiting Ohio State Oct. 20, a mission was ongoing to change Purdue students’ “IU sucks” chant to “cancer sucks” as a tribute to Trent.
A segment with Trent was filmed for ESPN’s College GameDay Oct. 20.
Purdue president Mitch Daniels described Tyler in a TV interview as “a source of unification. He’s a wonderful person and we’re so proud he’s a Boilermaker.”
