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Oregon running back Thomas Tyner has decided to take a medical retirement after sitting out all of last season because of a shoulder injury. Tyner was the Ducks' third-leading rusher as a true freshman in 2013 and then again as a sophomore in 2014. He finishes his Oregon career with 1,284 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns. "Thank you for all the support over the years," Tyner wrote in a Twitter post. "Couldn't have been more blessed to have been part of such a great community, I have the utmost respect for the staff and my teammates. Now it's time to get in the books and finish up in school. Much love to you all and Go Ducks!" After missing five games his sophomore season, he played in the first College Football Playoff, rushing for 124 yards and two touchdowns in the Rose Bowl victory over Florida State, and 62 yards in the national championship game loss to Ohio State. He missed all of last season following shoulder surgery. Nicknamed "Dash," Tyner was a homegrown recruit from Aloha High School, west of Portland. He rushed for 3,415 yards as a senior, setting a new single-season rushing record for the state. He scored 47 touchdowns, 43 on the ground. On his 18th birthday his senior year, Tyner smashed state records with 643 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns in an 84-63 victory over Lakeridge High School. At the time, it was the third-most rushing yards ever for a prep player, behind John Giannantonio's record of 754 for Netcong High School in New Jersey in 1950, and Paul McCoy's 661 yards rushing for Matewan High School in West Virginia in 2006. Tyner was also a standout on the track, setting a state prep record in the 100-meter dash in 10.35 seconds. "We thank Thomas and wish him well," Ducks coach Mark Helfrich said. "We will continue to support his efforts to graduate from the University of Oregon." Tyner will keep his scholarship at Oregon, but it will not count against the team's 85-player NCAA limit. He is a product design major.
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