# Tyvis Powell
**Tyvis Powell** (Tyvis Chansey Powell, born 1994 in Bedford, Ohio) is a former [American football](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-football) safety who won a national championship with Ohio State in 2014 and later played 18 games in the NFL for the [Seattle Seahawks](https://www.edgepedia.org/seattle-seahawks), Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, and [Indianapolis Colts](https://www.edgepedia.org/indianapolis-colts) organizations.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PoweTy01.htm) • [2](https://americanfootballdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/Tyvis_Powell)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1994, Bedford, Ohio; played high school football at Bedford High School[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PoweTy01.htm) |
| College | Ohio State, 2013–2015; 42 games (33 starts), 195 tackles (112 solo), eight interceptions[3](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/colts/losshfwii1ayvc6w1bsw.pdf) |
| 2014 season | Started all 15 games for the national champion Buckeyes; defensive MVP of the championship game against Oregon with a game-high nine tackles and one pass defensed[3](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/colts/losshfwii1ayvc6w1bsw.pdf) |
| Signature play | Interception of a Devin Gardner two-point conversion attempt in the closing seconds preserved a 42-41 win over Michigan in 2013[4](https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/images/2018/07/2014_guide.pdf) |
| NFL entry | Undrafted in 2016; signed by Seattle on May 6, 2016[5](https://www.colts.com/news/colts-add-former-seattle-seahawks-safety-tyvis-powell-18954226) |
| NFL career | 18 games, 1 start, 14 combined tackles across three seasons (2016–2018)[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PoweTy01.htm) |
| Combine | 4.46-second 40-yard dash, 34.5-inch vertical, 74.75 inches tall, 211 pounds[6](https://nflcombineresults.com/playerpage.php?f=Tyvis&i=22124&l=Powell) |
| After football | Co-host of the morning show "T-Bone & Tyvis" on Columbus' 97.1 The Fan[7](https://www.buckeyesports.com/wp-content/uploads/formidable/2/2025-07-01_BSBOnline.pdf) |
## College career at Ohio State
Powell arrived at Ohio State as a lightly regarded recruit. He was a three-star prospect per Rivals.com, ranked No. 33 among cornerbacks nationally and No. 37 among safeties by Scout.com, and his commitment came amid the coaching turmoil that followed [Jim Tressel](https://www.edgepedia.org/jim-tressel)'s departure in 2011.[4](https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/images/2018/07/2014_guide.pdf) • [8](https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2016-nfl-draft/2016/04/70081/five-potential-nfl-destinations-for-ohio-state-safety-tyvis-powell) After redshirting in 2012, he played in all 14 games as a freshman in 2013, starting five times including the Discover Orange Bowl, and recorded 48 tackles with one interception.[4](https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/images/2018/07/2014_guide.pdf)
**The Michigan interception.** His most famous play came in the closing seconds of the 2013 Michigan game, when he stepped in front of a Devin Gardner two-point conversion attempt and intercepted it to preserve a 42-41 Ohio State win.[4](https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/images/2018/07/2014_guide.pdf) The Browns' later profile also describes a game-winning interception at Michigan in overtime among his college highlights.[9](https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/get-to-know-tyvis-powell-the-newest-brown-a-former-buckeye-and-clevelan-18543526)
**The 2014 championship season.** As a sophomore, Powell started all 15 games at one safety position for the Buckeyes, who won the first [College Football Playoff](https://www.edgepedia.org/college-football-playoff) national championship. In the title game against Oregon he made a game-high nine tackles with one pass defensed and was named the game's defensive MVP.[3](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/colts/losshfwii1ayvc6w1bsw.pdf) • [10](https://umterps.com/documents/download/2015/10/5/OSU_Notes.pdf)
As a junior in 2015 he made 71 tackles with three interceptions, leading Ohio State in the latter category, and served as a team captain.[11](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/tyvis-powell-1.html) • [3](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/colts/losshfwii1ayvc6w1bsw.pdf) • [8](https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2016-nfl-draft/2016/04/70081/five-potential-nfl-destinations-for-ohio-state-safety-tyvis-powell) He closed his college career with an interception of Notre Dame's Deshone Kizer and five tackles in the [Fiesta Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/fiesta-bowl), then left with one year of eligibility remaining along with eight other Ohio State underclassmen.[8](https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2016-nfl-draft/2016/04/70081/five-potential-nfl-destinations-for-ohio-state-safety-tyvis-powell) He graduated with a degree in sport industry in three years.[9](https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/get-to-know-tyvis-powell-the-newest-brown-a-former-buckeye-and-clevelan-18543526) • [4](https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/images/2018/07/2014_guide.pdf)
## NFL career
Powell was widely projected as a mid-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft but went undrafted and signed with the Seattle Seahawks on May 6, 2016.[9](https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/get-to-know-tyvis-powell-the-newest-brown-a-former-buckeye-and-clevelan-18543526) • [5](https://www.colts.com/news/colts-add-former-seattle-seahawks-safety-tyvis-powell-18954226) He made Seattle's 53-man roster as a rookie and played in eight games, primarily on special teams, finishing with three special teams tackles.[3](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/colts/losshfwii1ayvc6w1bsw.pdf) Seahawks coach [Pete Carroll](https://www.edgepedia.org/pete-carroll) said after a preseason game against Kansas City, "I don't remember a first-year guy having a first game that was that obvious like that. It was very impressive."[9](https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/get-to-know-tyvis-powell-the-newest-brown-a-former-buckeye-and-clevelan-18543526)
His subsequent career was a chain of waiver moves. Seattle waived him on January 4, 2017, to make roster room; the [Cleveland Browns](https://www.edgepedia.org/cleveland-browns) claimed him on February 6, 2017, then waived him on June 9, 2017; the Indianapolis Colts claimed him off waivers on June 12, 2017.[3](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/colts/losshfwii1ayvc6w1bsw.pdf) • [9](https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/get-to-know-tyvis-powell-the-newest-brown-a-former-buckeye-and-clevelan-18543526) • [5](https://www.colts.com/news/colts-add-former-seattle-seahawks-safety-tyvis-powell-18954226) He never appeared in a regular-season game for [Cleveland](https://www.edgepedia.org/cleveland) or [Indianapolis](https://www.edgepedia.org/indianapolis). Pro-Football-Reference credits his final two seasons to the San Francisco 49ers: three games in 2017 and seven games with one start in 2018, giving him career totals of 18 games, 1 start, and 14 combined tackles.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PoweTy01.htm)
## Scouting profile
At the 2016 [NFL Scouting Combine](https://www.edgepedia.org/nfl-scouting-combine), Powell measured 74.75 inches (6'2 3/4") and 211 pounds and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds, a time in the 88.6th percentile among free safeties, with a 34.5-inch vertical jump and a 120-inch broad jump.[6](https://nflcombineresults.com/playerpage.php?f=Tyvis&i=22124&l=Powell) [NFL draft](https://www.edgepedia.org/nfl-draft) analyst Lance Zierlein wrote that Powell lacked the physicality and tackle consistency to play around the box and projected him as a single-high safety with some man-coverage potential, while noting his overall intelligence and knack for making plays at critical times.[12](https://www.nfl.com/draft/tracker/2016/prospects/all_ohio-state)
## After playing
Powell's football career ended in 2021, and he moved into media in Columbus. He is a co-host of the morning show "T-Bone & Tyvis" on 97.1 The Fan.[7](https://www.buckeyesports.com/wp-content/uploads/formidable/2/2025-07-01_BSBOnline.pdf)
## References
1. [Tyvis Powell Stats, Pro-Football-Reference](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PoweTy01.htm)
2. [Tyvis Powell, American Football Database (Fandom)](https://americanfootballdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/Tyvis_Powell)
3. [Tyvis Powell Colts player bio PDF](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/colts/losshfwii1ayvc6w1bsw.pdf)
4. [2014 Ohio State Football Media Guide, Tyvis Powell bio](https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/images/2018/07/2014_guide.pdf)
5. [Colts Add Former Seattle Seahawks Safety Tyvis Powell, Colts.com](https://www.colts.com/news/colts-add-former-seattle-seahawks-safety-tyvis-powell-18954226)
6. [Tyvis Powell NFL Combine Results](https://nflcombineresults.com/playerpage.php?f=Tyvis&i=22124&l=Powell)
7. [Buckeye Sports Bulletin, July 2025 Interview Issue](https://www.buckeyesports.com/wp-content/uploads/formidable/2/2025-07-01_BSBOnline.pdf)
8. [Five Potential NFL Destinations for Ohio State Safety Tyvis Powell, Eleven Warriors](https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2016-nfl-draft/2016/04/70081/five-potential-nfl-destinations-for-ohio-state-safety-tyvis-powell)
9. [Get to know Tyvis Powell, the newest Brown, ClevelandBrowns.com](https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/get-to-know-tyvis-powell-the-newest-brown-a-former-buckeye-and-clevelan-18543526)
10. [Ohio State Athletics Communications game notes PDF](https://umterps.com/documents/download/2015/10/5/OSU_Notes.pdf)
11. [Tyvis Powell College Stats, Sports-Reference](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/tyvis-powell-1.html)
12. [Ohio State 2016 Draft Prospects, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/draft/tracker/2016/prospects/all_ohio-state)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › American football players, coaches, and executives › Safeties › Surnames N to W*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license