James Efflo Tyrer (February 25, 1939 – September 15, 1980) was an American professional football offensive tackle widely regarded as one of the most dominant players of his era.

[5] Standing 6'6" tall and weighing as much as 322 pounds during his career, Tyrer was known for his size, quick footwork, intelligence, and a notably large head, which he used to impose his will on opponents.

[6][7][8][9][10] A cornerstone of the Chiefs' success, owner Lamar Hunt credited him for helping establish Kansas City as a major sports town.

[13] He played in a period when linemen were prohibited from using their hands for blocking, and defensive players were permitted to use the "head slap" technique—a practice later outlawed due to its brutality.

He did not advance in the selection process again for 44 years when research from Beneath the Shadow filmmaker Kevin Patrick Allen led to a tacit acknowledgement from the PFHOF senior committee that Tyrer likely suffered from brain trauma.

[23] Tyrer played college football at Ohio State University under head coach Woody Hayes, and earned All-America honors.

He played 13 years with that franchise (180 consecutive games), which became the Kansas City Chiefs in 1963, helping set the standard for his position at left offensive tackle.

Pundits noted that Chiefs' running backs Warren McVea and Mike Garrett, both 5'9", were "camouflaged" by Tyrer, giving them an initial advantage against opponents.

The resilience and post-tragedy successes of the children are what filmmaker Allen says drew him to create Beneath the Shadow, "It's pretty rare that you see four kids that go through something like this, and you look at them and you say, 'Wow that's motivating,'" [30] Following his retirement from football, Tyrer ran his own company, Pro Forma, representing professional athletes in commercial ventures.

[38][39] It led to a more extensive investigation into Jim and Martha Tyrer's deaths and the lives of their surviving children for a yet-to-be-released feature-length film "Beneath the Shadow."

In June 2024, the Kansas City Star published an op-ed from Allen that revealed key findings strongly suggesting Tyrer suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) at the time of his death.

"[41] Tyrer played in an era where lineman were expected to use their head as a battering ram, and his daughter Tina has stated that the custom helmet he used for his large frame (6-7, 290 pounds) had a half-inch of cardboard lining with no suspension.