Inside The Huskies

Making All the Right Moves, Tryon-Shoyinka Gets Playoff Payoff

The former University of Washington edge rusher makes memorable postseason debut.
Dan Raley|
Making All the Right Moves, Tryon-Shoyinka Gets Playoff Payoff
Making All the Right Moves, Tryon-Shoyinka Gets Playoff Payoff

In another time, outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka would have just completed his senior season with the University of Washington football team, maybe shared in a bowl game on New Year's Day and credited Husky coach Jimmy Lake with making him a top 10 NFL draft pick.

Things have a funny way of working out, don't they? 

While none of the above happened for Tryon-Shoyinka, he's not complaining one bit. Pro football has treated him royally since he accelerated his career and entered the draft early a year ago, with the 6-foot-5, 259-pounder from Renton, Washington, making himself a highly respected player.

On Sunday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' rookie was as visible as any NFL defender in the playoffs, coming off the right hip of former Husky defensive tackle and the very disruptive Vita Vea to make big plays. 

Tryon-Shoyinka deflected a Jalen Hurts' pass in the opening quarter of a 31-15 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Tampa. In the final period, he sacked Hurts for a 4-yard loss.

It wasn't that long ago that Tryon-Shoyinka was a modestly recruited high school player who gave an oral commitment to Washington State, which he rescinded once the Huskies got wise to him and offered. 

Nothing against the Cougars, who turn out ample pro football players, but he was a Seattle suburb guy who wanted to play near his home. He was able to generate plenty of pro interest in himself after just one season as a UW starter in 2019. 

Joe Tryon-Shoyinka is in hot pursuit of Jalen Hurts.

Jalen Hurts gets dropped for a 4-yard loss by Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.

Joe Tryon-Shoyinka struts after sacking Jalen Hurts.

Even after opting out of 2020 college football season because it looked like the pandemic would prevent the Huskies from playing much if at all, Tryon-Shoyinka was still a first-round draftee, going with the 32nd and final pick last April. 

Even that has worked out very well for him. Had he gone in the top 10, Tryon-Shoyinka might be part of one of those NFL teams that failed to make the playoffs and be watching from home. 

As for the UW football part, Tryon-Shoyinka unfortunately saw the big unraveling of the program in person. With the Bucs enjoying a bye week, he showed up on November 6 at Husky Stadium for the Oregon-Washington game, along with Benning Potoa'e and Vea, plus Huskies-turned-Seattle Seahawks in Sidney Jones and Jacob Eason. They watched their alma mater lose 26-16 and were on the sideline when Lake got himself into trouble with his ill-advised player shove. 

After that, it was back to work for Tryon-Shoyinka and his Tampa Bay teammates as they try to position the franchise for another Super Bowl appearance. Vea and Potoa'e already have championship rings. 

That's about the only thing Tryon-Shoyinka, the team newcomer, doesn't walk around with these days.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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