The Tyler Brown you see bulldogging opponents while he’s on the bump is the one you get used to as a fan, but his life story is really incredible.

Brown lost his mother, Cindy, at a young age to multiple myeloma, and he bounced from house to house following her death. Thankfully, he was asked to stay with Brandon and Koren Oswalt, who eventually adopted him. Prior to landing at Vanderbilt, Brown found out he was going to be a father. His daughter has Down syndrome.

Vanderbilt produced an incredible 10 minute video of Brown’s life story that fans would really enjoy:

It’s easy to see how much Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin admires Brown on his school bio:

Tyler is strong, fearless and competitive. He has worked through several hurdles in his young life that will only enhance his ability to succeed at this level. He is a survivor in every way. He saw a lot of time in a relief role as a freshman and we were happy with the way that he approached big moments. I like the way he attacks the strike zone. He has continued to grow personally and athletically, and he could find himself in a starter role at some point.

The rising junior is one of the best pitchers in the nation, and he’ll return to help lead Vanderbilt to (hopefully) another national title.