Ohio
Local skating community mourns Ohio Air Guardsman killed in Iraq crash
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — For many people, there’s a place they return to again and again — a favorite restaurant, bar, or gym.
For Technical Sgt. Tyler Simmons, that place was the roller rink.
Simmons was a familiar face at Skate Zone 71, where friends say he spent countless nights gliding across the rink and building a tight-knit community around his love of skating.
Those who knew him say it wasn’t just his skating skills that stood out — it was his personality.
“He would be a light,” said friend James Breneman. “Just seeing him every few months, seeing him come back, it was really good.”
Friends say Simmons had a way of making everyone feel welcome whenever he walked through the door.
“He made it a point to show you love every time he was in a building or any space he was in,” said Rashon Streater, a DJ at Skate Zone 71.
For many at the rink, Simmons was more than a friend.
“That was my brother,” said Ty Carter. “His smile could literally light up a room. His laugh was beyond contagious.”
But skating wasn’t Simmons’ only passion.
He also served his country as a technical sergeant and boom operator with the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base.
On Thursday, March 12, Simmons was among six service members killed when an air tanker crashed during a mission in Iraq.
The news has left his skating community grieving the loss of someone many describe as irreplaceable.
“It’s super sad. It’s super unfortunate. It hurts,” Streater said.
Carter says he’s still struggling to process the loss.
“Still processing everything and now having to adjust life without my brother being here,” Carter said. “Honestly, I’m just still numb.”
Friends say Simmons’ impact will never fade.
“The impact he left can never be matched,” Carter added. “You only get one person like him. I’m going to miss my brother literally to the end of time.”
Those closest to Simmons will gather Saturday at 7 p.m. at Skate Zone 71 to honor his life and the memories he created on the rink.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers and former Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is defending former Buckeye Carnell Tate.
Tate has received some scrutiny after he was selected as the first wide receiver in the 2026 NFL Draft, despite not having been Ohio State’s top receiver target in college. Appearing on the “Up and Adams” show May 6, Egbuka shut down the narrative that meant Tate would not find success with the Tennessee Titans.
“I mean, we can see the correlation,” Egbuka said. “That was the same talk that was about me when I was coming out of the draft. At the end of the day, it’s all semantics. If you can play football, you can play football, and Carnell Tate can play football.”
Selected with the No. 20 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Egbuka finished his final college season with 1,011 receiving yards, more than 300 fewer than Jeremiah Smith in his freshman year. Egbuka led the team in receptions with 81 compared to Smith’s 76 catches.
With Buccaneers wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin Jr. playing fewer than 10 games during the 2025 season due to injuries, Egbuka led the team in receiving yards with 938. He finished fifth in 2025 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.
Tate, the No. 4 overall pick in this year’s draft, was called a “talented player” by New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers during Bleacher Report’s draft night coverage on April 23, but Nabers questioned Tate’s selection.
“I don’t see him being a number one,” Nabers said. “He hasn’t been the number one on the team he’s been on. You have to be a number one on the team that you’re coming from to be a number one receiver on the team you’re going to. … You can’t be the second.”
Green Bay Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons, also on the broadcast, quickly dismissed Nabers’ statement by bringing up that former Buckeyes receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was a second option while in college.
“You said you got to be number one on the team that you’re coming from. … [Jaxon Smith-Njigba] was not number one. Bro, you got to understand that the number one [Ohio State] player will be the number one pick in the draft next year. … Give him a chance to fulfill the role,” Parsons said.
Tate finished the 2025 season with 875 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, second to Smith with 1,243 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.
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