Career: Graham’s two seasons at EWU saw him rack up 162 total tackles in 19 games, all of which he started. He had 14 1/2 tackles for loss, resulting in 51 negative yards for opponents. He is also credited with 3 1/2 sacks for 29 yards, five quarterback hurries, a pass break up, a fumble recovery, and an interception returned for 43 yards and a touchdown. He grew up around the Eastern football program, and a circuitous route – with some irony mixed in – had the Eagle co-captain playing his first game in an Eagle uniform against Idaho on Feb. 27, 2021. He responded with nine tackles in his EWU debut – his first collegiate game in 834 days. With his father, John Graham, on the EWU coaching staff as defensive coordinator for eight years, Graham eventually graduated from Cheney, Wash., High School in 2016. He subsequently joined the University of Idaho program and played three seasons for the Vandals, but elected to transfer to EWU for the 2019 season.
2021: Was named to the Big Sky Conference All-Academic team. Earned All-Big Sky Conference Honorable Mention honors after starting in all 13 games for the Eagles. Named a team co-captain for the second-straight season, he led the team with 120 total tackles, which ranks as the 12th-highest single-season mark in EWU history. Eleven of those tackles were for loss, resulting in 46 negative yards for opponents. As a team, Eastern racked up 113 tackles for loss in the 2021 season, which is the fifth-highest in school history. Graham is also credited with 3 1/2 sacks for a total of 29 yards, four quarterback hurries, one fumble recovery, one interception, and one pass broken up. Against FBS opponent UNLV (9/2/21), Graham led the team with 14 tackles (3 1/2 for loss) and a sack. The Eagle defense made a game-winning stop on a two-point conversion attempt in double overtime. Against Central Washington on 9/11/21, he recorded his first interception as an Eagle and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown. In the third quarter of a tied game at Portland State (11/20/21), Graham recovered a fumble, and the Eagle offense would go on to reclaim the lead and eventually win the game. In the FCS Playoffs against Northern Iowa (11/27/21), he racked up 13 tackles, and the Eastern defense held UNI without a touchdown. He had another 13-tackle game against Montana (12/3/21), his seventh game with 10 or more tackles on the season.
2021 Preseason: He is a team co-captain for the second-straight season.
2020-21: Graham earned All-Big Sky Conference honorable mention after starting all six of the games he played as a linebacker. Was named to the Big Sky Conference All-Academic team. In addition, he was named to the Hampshire Honor Society as chosen by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. He also received the team’s Pat Roberts Award for academic and athletic excellence. Graham was EWU’s leading tackler through the regular season with 42 tackles, although he played just the first series versus Idaho (4/10/21) and was lost for the season with an injury. He had his EWU career high of nine tackles against both Idaho (2/27/21) when he was facing his former team for the first time, and Cal Poly (3/27/21). He also had a quarterback hurry versus Cal Poly that led to a 34-yard interception return for a touchdown by Mitchell Johnson. He also had eight stops versus 11th-ranked UC Davis (4/3/21) in a 32-22 victory, and eight versus Idaho State (3/13/21). Selected as a senior team co-captain as voted upon by his teammates, joining quarterback Eric Barriere, running back Tamarick Pierce, linebacker Jack Sendelbach, offensive tackle Tristen Taylor and safety Calin Criner.
2019: Redshirted after transferring from Idaho. He was defensive scout team player of the week once. He had 10 tackles in three spring scrimmages for EWU, including a sack.
Idaho: While playing from 2016-18 for the Vandals, Graham had 133 tackles at Idaho, including 13 for a loss. He had 2 1/2 sacks, an interception, two passes broken up and a forced fumble in 27 career games. As a junior in 2018 he had 65 tackles, including 12 in 38-14 loss at EWU at Roos Field on Oct. 27, 2018. He had 28 tackles as a sophomore and 40 as a true freshman in 2016. He previously won Big Sky All-Academic honors while a Vandal.
HS: Graduated in 2016 from Cheney HS. He played in the 2A/1A/2B/1B Earl Barden All-State football game in June of 2016 and had a pair of interceptions. He also scored a touchdown on a 2-yard run to help the East win 25-0. He played on both sides of the ball while at Cheney, and in his career had 109 total tackles and four interceptions, plus rushed for 1,484 yards and 25 touchdowns. Was also a team captain and also played basketball and baseball at Cheney. Former Eagle defensive end Keenan Williams, a first team All-Big Sky Conference selection as a senior in 2018, graduated from Cheney in 2015. Nate Hagreen, who redshirted at Eastern in 2019, also attended CHS and graduated in 2019.
Personal: Graham is now working toward his master’s degree in business administration after having already received his marketing degree from EWU with a minor in sports management. He has a 3.60 grade point average as a graduate student after a 3.58 as an undergrad. Born 9/24/97. His parents are John and Becky Graham. John spent eight years as defensive coordinator at EWU under head coach Beau Baldwin and 12 years at his alma mater, Central Washington. He spent a short time as Idaho’s linebackers coach when Ty was on the roster there. Ty’s older brother, Andrew, played football at Montana Tech and Central Washington. His grandfather, Dan Graham, spent 11 years as head coach at nearby Reardan (Wash.) High School.
| Year |
GP |
TT |
Hi |
S |
TL-Yds |
FF-FR |
PBU |
I-Yds |
| 2020-21 |
6 |
42 |
9 |
0 |
4-5 |
0-0 |
0 |
0-0 |
| 2021 |
13 |
120 |
14 |
3.5 |
11-46 |
0-1 |
1 |
1-43 |
| Totals |
19 |
162 |
14 |
3.5 |
14.5-51 |
0-1 |
1 |
1-43 |
QB Hurries: 2020-21/1; 2021/4; Totals/5.
TY GRAHAM Top Tackling Performances (7 with 10+)
14 tackles – UNLV – 9/2/21
13 tackles – Montana – 12/3/21
13 tackles – Northern Iowa – 11/27/21
12 tackles – Montana – 10/2/21
11 tackles – Montana State – 11/6/21
11 tackles – Southern Utah – 9/25/21
10 tackles – Western Illinois – 9/18/21
