By all accounts, Tate Myre was the fastest kid at Oxford High School. A star running back and wrestler, the 16-year-old Myre could easily have sprinted to safety when a deranged 15-year-old classmate began shooting up the suburban Michigan high school.
But Myre did the unthinkable.
"I was told that everybody in that school was running one way, and Tate was running the other way," said Ross Wingert, Myre's football and wrestling coach.
Myre was shot after rushing towards the school shooter, Ethan Crumbley. The troubled teen reportedly fired 30 rounds from a gun he brought to school in his backpack. Investigators said Crumbley had 18 rounds left before surrendering to police. It is unclear how many others would have died in the massacre if not for Myre's bravery. Myre died in a police patrol car on the way to the hospital. Three other students perished in the mass shooting.
Myre had every reason in the world to save himself. Major football and wrestling programs were recruiting him. He visited the University of Toledo for a recruitment trip last month. Big 10 powerhouse Michigan State was also calling.
"I have been in love with football since I was young and always dreamed of playing college football," Myre said in a recruitment profile, according to reports. "If I play college football, I will be the hardest worker on the field and no matter the situation in the game I will give all my effort."
Myre will not have the opportunity to live out that dream, but his name will live on. The NFL honored Myre with its "Way to Play" award, which goes to high school football players who show prowess on the gridiron.
A campaign started by Oxford students to rename the school's football stadium after Myre has gone viral, amassing nearly 275,000 signatures.
"Tate is not just a hero to his fellow students at Oxford High School but a legend. His act of bravery should be remembered forever and passed down through generations. He put his life in danger to try and help the thousands of other students," the petition reads.
For heroically sacrificing his life to save his classmates, Tate Myre is a Washington Free Beacon Man of the Year.
