 In 1995, Tyler, a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, went to Louisiana State University (LSU) Late in his freshman season, Tyler replaced injured senior Jamie Howard to become LSU's starting quarterback.Over Tyler's next 31 games as a starter, LSU went 26-5, including a #12 ranking in the 1996 final AP Poll and a #13 ranking in the 1997 final AP Poll (it was the first time LSU had finished in the final AP Poll since 1988).Major victories during that time included unranked LSU's 28-0 victory over #14 Arkansas in 1995 (televised by ABC), #21 LSU's 19-15 victory at #14 Auburn in 1996 (televised by ESPN), and, most notably, #14 LSU's 28-21 victory over #1 Florida in 1997 (televised by ESPN).