Tyler Brown's mental health plea dismissed by NCAA as Colorado OL pens down an emotional note for Buff Nation

Tyler Brown has been denied the opportunity to feature for the Colorado Buffs for the 2023 college football season. The offensive guard was ruled out for immediate eligibility because of the NCAA's two-transfer rule.

In a lengthy note on his Instagram account, Brown explained that the NCAA rejected his appeal for eligibility. He wrote,

“The NCAA unfortunately denied my appeal and I will not be able to suit up with my brothers for the 2023-24 football season.”

He explained further that he didn't make up his mental health condition as an excuse to get eligibility to play for the Buffs. He stated that he has been battling mental health issues all his life, seeing therapists and taking anti-depressants.

According to a Sports Illustrated report, Brown also suffered a bout of mononucleosis during his transition. This should've qualified him for a waiver by the NCAA.

In March 2023, the NCAA voted to restrict the number of waivers it will grant players who are transferring for the second time. The move is to check the excessive return to the transfer portal after an initial transfer.

The new rule would only grant immediate eligibility to players transferring for the second time on the condition of physical injury or mental health.

Tyler Brown's journey to Colorado

Brown is a native of Madison, Mississippi. He attended the St Joseph Catholic High School in Madison. He enrolled at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, earning a scholarship to play college football. He entered the transfer portal in March 2022 and moved to Jackson State, where he played the 2022 CFB season under Deion Sanders. He ended the season on an impressive note and earned a First-team All-SWAC honor.

Following Sanders' departure from Jackson State to Colorado, Brown entered the transfer portal and, unsurprisingly, ended up at Colorado.