It would be easy to ignore the story of Jim Tyrer, one of the greatest Kansas City Chiefs, who died by suicide after taking the life of his wife.
It would be lazy to simply dwell on the salacious aspects of his story.
But Kansas City filmmaker Kevin Patrick Allen didn’t choose the easy or lazy way to remember Tyrer. Instead, “A Good Man: The Jim Tyrer Story” focuses on the surviving family’s perseverance in the wake of tragedy.
“He was a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame,” Allen says. “His name was sullied by what happened, and in many ways he hasn’t gotten his due.”
The new documentary isn’t just the story of the rise and tragic fall of a local football hero. It explores how the family, and the broader community, rallied around the four surviving children of the Tyrer family. It also explores the possibility that Tyrer may have suffered from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) resulting from years of head trauma suffered on the gridiron.
“He wasn’t a violent person,” insists former Chiefs tight end Fred Arbanas. “I know damn well Jim had that problem.”
For more, watch the attached video.
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, you can get help right away:
Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.
Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 any time of day. It’s open seven days a week, every day of the year.
If you’re a veteran, you can get help through the Veterans Crisis Line by pressing prompt “1.” Otherwise you will be routed to the nearest local crisis call center.
Text the word “home” to 741741 to immediately be connected to a text counselor.