Brian Gordon Tyms (born February 21, 1989) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) and

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...

(CFL). He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

Florida A&M Rattlers The Florida A&M Rattlers represent Florida A&M University (FAMU) in college athletics. Florida A&M is a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference and participates in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). FAMU offers men's s ...

. Tyms signed with the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

as undrafted free agent in 2012. He was also a member of the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...

Hamilton Tiger-Cats The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division (CFL), East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home game ...

Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Argonauts compete in the East Division (CFL), East Division of t ...

Orlando Apollos The Orlando Apollos were a professional American football franchise based in Orlando, Florida, and one of the eight members of the Alliance of American Football (AAF), which began play in February 2019. The team played its home games at Spectr ...

, and

Salt Lake Stallions The Salt Lake Stallions were a professional American football franchise based in Salt Lake City, and one of the eight members of the Alliance of American Football (AAF), which began play in February 2019. The Stallions were the northernmost tea ...

Early life

Tyms was born in Kent, Washington. He was raised as a foster child, growing up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

College career

Tyms played college football at

Florida A&M University Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), commonly known as Florida A&M, is a Public university, public Historically black colleges and universities, historically black land-grant university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. ...

for the Rattlers.

Professional career

San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins

Tyms went

undrafted In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

in the

2012 NFL draft The 2012 NFL draft was the 77th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players for their rosters. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held ...

. During the 2012 preseason, Tyms was on the

practice squad In gridiron football, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. They serve as extra players during the team's practices, often as part of the scou ...

for the

. In September 2012, Tyms signed with the

off the 49ers' practice squad.

Cleveland Browns

On October 22, 2013, Tyms signed with the Browns. After spending time on the practice squad, Tyms was elevated to the active roster on December 4, 2013, after defensive end Desmond Bryant was placed on the non-football illness list. He was released by the Browns after the NFL informed the team he would be suspended for the first four games of the 2014 season due to violating the league's substance abuse policy.

New England Patriots

On July 27, 2014, Tyms signed with the New England Patriots. On August 7, in a preseason game against the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...

, Tyms scored his first touchdown as a Patriot. Additionally, he caught 5 passes for 119 yards. After the preseason, Tyms was informed he would be on the 53-man roster following his suspension in April for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Tyms was activated to the 53-man roster on October 6, 2014. Tyms scored his first NFL touchdown on October 12 on a 43-yard pass from

Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...

. Prior to the touchdown, Tyms had two career NFL receptions for 12 yards. Although he was inactive, Tyms earned a Super Bowl ring as the Patriots defeated the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...

28–24 in

Super Bowl XLIX Super Bowl XLIX was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2014 NFL season, 2014 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2014 New England Patriots season, New Eng ...

. Tyms was placed on the Patriots' injured reserve on August 25, 2015, and the Patriots did not tender him a contract at the conclusion of the league year.

Indianapolis Colts

On April 7, 2016, Tyms signed with the

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

On October 24, 2016, Tyms was signed to the

' practice roster. Tyms played in the final game of the regular season and the Tiger-Cats' lone playoff game. In his one regular season game, he caught four passes for 33 yards with 1 touchdown. He had a breakout performance in the Eastern Division Semifinal against the

Eskimos ''Eskimo'' () is a controversial Endonym and exonym, exonym that refers to two closely related Indigenous peoples: Inuit (including the Alaska Native Iñupiat, the Canadian Inuit, and the Greenlandic Inuit) and the Yupik peoples, Yupik (or Sibe ...

, catching a game high 8 passes for 114 yards. Nevertheless, the Tiger-Cats were defeated 24-21, thus ending their 2016 season. He signed a further contract with the Tiger-Cats in February 2017. In the 2017 season, Tyms played 8 games and hauled in 25 passes for 204 yards. He was released in September 2017.

Toronto Argonauts

On September 14, 2017, Tyms was signed to the

practice roster. The Argos went on to win the

105th Grey Cup The 105th Grey Cup was played on November 26, 2017, between the Calgary Stampeders and the Toronto Argonauts at TD Place Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. In a re-match of the 100th Grey Cup, the Argonauts won the game 27–24, winning their 17th cham ...

championship game, making Tyms a rare player who has won both a Super Bowl and a Grey Cup. He signed an extension, but was released by the team on July 2, 2018, following two games, in which he made 7 catches for 55 yards.

Orlando Apollos

Tyms was announced as having joined the

of the

Alliance of American Football The Alliance of American Football (AAF) was a professional American football minor league. The AAF consisted of eight centrally owned and operated teams in the southern and western United States, seven of which were located in metropolitan area ...

in 2018. He was released at the conclusion of training camp.

Salt Lake Stallions

On February 19, 2019, Tyms signed with the

. In the six games Tyms played in prior to the league suspending operations, he caught 11 passes for 82 yards. The league ceased operations in April 2019.

Career statistics

NFL

CFL

References

External links

*
Toronto Argonauts bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tyms, Brian 1989 births Living people American football wide receivers Canadian football wide receivers Cleveland Browns players Florida A&M Rattlers football players Hamilton Tiger-Cats players Indianapolis Colts players Miami Dolphins players New England Patriots players Orlando Apollos players Sportspeople from Kent, Washington Players of American football from Fort Lauderdale, Florida Players of Canadian football from Fort Lauderdale, Florida Salt Lake Stallions players San Francisco 49ers players Toronto Argonauts players