Getting to Know … Tank Tyler

Name: DeMarcus Lamon Tyler

Born: February 14, 1985 in Cotton Plant, Arkansas, a small town in northeastern Arkansas. The 2000 Census puts the population of Cotton Plant at 960 people living in a town that is one square mile in size.

Family: Father is John. Mother is Cathy. They divorced when Tank was 10 years old. His father works on a dredging boat, his mother is a manager for Cingular and his stepfather Jonathan McPherson is a barber. He has a younger brother.

Grew up in: Fayetteville, North Carolina, where he moved when he was 10 years old. Located in southeastern North Carolina, Fayetteville was established as trading post along the Cape Fear River in the mid 1700s. Eventually the town was named after General Lafayette, the French military hero who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He actually visited the town named after him in 1825. With a metro population of over 340,000, Fayetteville is home to the Fort Bragg Army base and the Pope Air Force Base. U.S. Army Airborne and Special Ops units are stationed at Fort Bragg. Among the famous folks who grew up in Fayetteville are pro golfer Ray Floyd, actress Julianne Moore, Oklahoma basketball coach Jeff Capel and football types like former Chiefs assistant coach Jimmy Raye, former Chiefs WR Joe Horn and the current owner of the Carolina Panthers, Jerry Richardson.

Where does “Tank” come from? “My freshman high school coach George Coltharp named me that. We were playing bull in the ring and I ran somebody over and ever since then I was Tank. In the neighborhood around that same time people started calling me Tank. I guess it was meant to be.”

What kind of place is Fayetteville for a youngster? “It’s very rough. There’s little opportunity there for a young black man. The high school I went to is in the middle of the ghetto. Right across the street was the house where the gang members hung around and up and down the street there were drugs. I had older people in my life that guided me. There were guys I knew that never got past the ninth grade and they were pushing me to make sure I got my school work done and graduated from high school. They all kept on me about staying in school and not doing what they were doing. My uncle was one of the most influential people in my life. He’s over in Afghanistan right now. He’s with the Special Forces and he basically raised me when I moved to North Carolina when I was 10 years old.”

Attended: E.E. Smith High School in Fayetteville and North Carolina State University in Raleigh.

Why did you end up at N.C. State? “My top three schools were Ohio State, Maryland and N.C. State. I decided to stay close to home. I had support systems there. My uncle at that time was teaching R.O.T.C. at N.C. State. But as soon as I signed to go there, he got shipped overseas. It still worked out for me.”

Favorite movie? “Life with Martin Lawrence and Eddie Murphy. It just has that old southern feel to it. It’s a country movie, with some of my favorite actors in it.”

Favorite place? “I have two places: Atlanta and San Diego. It’s Atlanta for the music and San Diego just because it’s beautiful and peaceful.”

Music is a big part of your life, as you write lyrics and create rap songs. Where does that come from? “Music has been part of my life since I was 11 years old. I grew up in my neighborhood in Fayetteville around a lot of producers and artists. I got involved with them and I’ve been doing it ever since. I write music on my Blackberry sometimes. It takes up a lot of my time outside of football. I just relax and do music.”

Favorite meal? “Turkey and dressing, cranberry sauce, macaroni and cheese, candied yams, ham, dinner roles, strawberry shortcake and some caramel cake from my Momma.”

Best advice ever been given? “Keep your eyes on the prize. I’ve been told that one by many people, from my high school coach, to my uncle, to my step-dad. You go through so many adversities in life and you have to learn how to weather the storm. The only way to get through it is to keep your eye on the prize and remember your goal.”

What’s your ride? A Ford 250.

What was your first car? “It was a ’74 Cadillac El Dorado. It was white, with red interior and it was a convertible. My Dad gave it to me in 2004 … it had 83,000 miles on it when he gave it to me. I still have that car. It’s probably got about 130,000 miles on it now. I try not to drive it too much.”

What was your first job? “I was 10 years old and I was mowing grass every day during the summer. I got at least $30 a yard. I would go out early in the mornings before it go too hot.”

What do you always take with you on a road trip if you are driving back to Fayetteville? I’ve got to have an I-pod with all of Al Green’s songs on it, his greatest hits, everything he’s every done. He’s helped me get through things. Listening to him puts a real good feeling in my soul. That and nacho cheese Doritos. If I have those things and some bottled water, I’m good to go.”

What’s on your bucket list? “I want to make sure my Mom doesn’t have to work anymore. I want to carry out God’s will for me and I want to see the world and everything in it before I die.”

Tell us something nobody knows about you? “I like to be alone. I love to be around people, but you learn a lot of things when you are off by yourself. You learn more self-discipline. I’m never alone or scared. I’ll cut off all the lights in my house and be by myself.”