Southern Arkansas University Athletics

A standout signal caller at Jessieville High School, Tyler Sykora continued his playing career behind center at the collegiate level as he joined the quarterback room at Southern Arkansas University. One of nearly two dozen signees for first-year head coach Bill Keopple in February of 2009, Sykora's leadership was immediately evident and his talent would soon blossom in Magnolia.
 
The Natural State product's career is synonymous with Southern Arkansas' gridiron transition from the uber-competitive Gulf South Conference to its current membership in the Great American Conference. Sykora helped spur the Muleriders' turnaround from four combined wins over the 2009 and 2010 seasons to 17 total from 2011 to 2013, the program's first three years as a GAC member. That three-year win total included an eight-win season, the first in nearly a decade and a berth in the inaugural C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl in 2012; the program's first postseason berth since 2003.
 
Sykora's program-shifting junior campaign saw him garner All-GAC honors as well as All-Super Region 3 Third Team honors from the Don Hansen Football Committee. No Mulerider quarterback in the program's previous 90+ years enjoyed a passing season quite like Sykora did over 11 games in 2012. The Natural State product set program passing records in attempts (398), completions (245), completion percentage (61.6%), yards (3,393) and touchdowns (31), while the becoming the first Mulerider quarterback to pass for five touchdowns in a single game which he did twice in home wins over Southern Nazarene and Arkansas Tech. His nearly 3,400 yards passing remains the top single season passing mark in program history.
 
Sykora was also impressive as a senior as he tossed for over 2,600 yards with 27 touchdowns in ten games. He once again was named an All-GAC quarterback, earned Team MVP honors from the Little Rock Touchdown Club, was a finalist for the Arkansas Star of Tomorrow award and garnered both the Auburn Smith Male Athlete of the Year honor as well as SAU's Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. A two-time GAC All-Academic team honoree, Sykora was a candidate for the National Football Foundation's (NFF) National Scholar-Athlete award.
 
At the conclusion of his career, Sykora owned 17 passing records (7 single-season, 7 career, and 3 game) and currently ranks in the top three of 18 single game, single season, and career records. He threw for over 9,000 yards, which at the time was more than 5,000 yards than any other Mulerider quarterback, while his 82 career passing touchdowns were 47 more than the next closest SAU passer.