The stunning death of former New York Giants safety Tyler Sash, only 27 years old, has shaken the teammates he played with from 2011 to 2013. The New York Post spoke with several of them this week after Sash's death, which is being investigated, and found a locker room that could hardly believe he was gone and one that was left with more questions about Sash's life than answers. “You kinda just say, ‘I wonder … I wonder why,’ ” Giants linebacker Mark Herzlich said per the Post, “ ‘and I wonder if there’s anything else I could have done.’ And I don’t think that there’s necessarily anything I could have done but … I wish he had reached out and would have told me what was happening.” Herzlich last saw Sash 10 months ago in Iowa, where Sash was born and where he played college, and though Herzlich had no indication of something ominous happening he speculates that life after football proved to be difficult for his friend. The Giants released Sash in August 2013 after he had suffered a concussion. “Some mental instability at the end where he figured that it was easier to just end it, which is … it’s tough,” Herzlich said. “And you never think it’s gonna get to that. … There’s life after football, but it’s not the same. And you realize that with what happened with Tyler.” Herzlich wondered if he had noticed something truly amiss ... could he have done something to help his fallen friend? “It stops you in your tracks, and makes you … really wonder if there’s anything that could have been done, to help save him,” Herzlich said. “That’s the hardest part, I think. Because when it happens in your circle, you wish that guy was still in your circle. And you’d do anything to get him back there. So, it was a tragedy — it is a tragedy — and I cannot explain how saddened I am by his loss, and his loss of hope. Because I think that’s probably what had happened.” They were teammates for parts of three seasons and were able to celebrate the Giants' Super Bowl XLVI over the New England Patriots together as regular contributors on special teams and defense. Herzlich chose Wednesday to remember the good times he had with Sash, and especially that night in Indianapolis and the next day heading back to New York as world champions. “I remember we did not go to bed,” Herzlich said, “and then we were all on the plane the next day and sang the ‘I Got A Ring’ song, and he was right there singing that too so … yeah … we didn’t get much sleep that night.” And though we don't have a clear indication on Sash's death, or what might if anything have prompted it, we do have questions. Herzlich strongly suggested with his words what might have happened. Sash was cited for public intoxication and interference with official acts last year. It appeared he might have had depression over his NFL career being over. We don't know if he was suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which was what former San Diego Chargers linebacker Junior Seau was found to have suffered from before he took his own life. But it's hard not to wonder when you hear the news of a player teammates said was "infectious" and "very, very lovable and likeable" and who was years short of making it to his 30th birthday. It's the concussion-addled era in which we live following an offseason in which several players, namely three San Francisco 49ers in their primes, walked away from the NFL with myriad concerns about their health. “I’m very dumbfounded by this, and I’m very sad,” Giants head coach Tom Coughlin said. Coughlin is not the only one. - - - - - - - Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm
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