JACKSON TWP — Tyrell Sales' football career is over — sort of.

The Butler High School and Penn State University graduate explored opportunities with the NFL's Indianapolis Colts, CFL's Montreal Alouettes and Arena League's Jacksonville franchise over the past two years. The linebacker was released by all three organizations.

“I was only down there (Jacksonville) for a few weeks,” Sales, 24, said. “There may have been other opportunites for me in the Arena League, but I thought better of it.

“At some point, real life starts to set in. I had to get on with mine.”

So Sales returned home and hooked up with fellow Butler graduate Lyneil Mitchell's physical therapy and sports clinic in Cranberry Township.

Now he's got a second job on top of that one.

Sales recently accepted a position as linebacker and tight end coach under head coach Don Holl at Seneca Valley High School. He will serve as defensive coordinator for the Raiders' junior varsity as well.

“We had an opening suddenly pop up and we knew Tyrell was down here,” Holl said. “He was the first guy we thought of.”

Dan Wilkins, an assistant coach during Holl's first two years at SV, left the district only a month ago to accept the assistant principal position at Yough High School.

“We needed to fill that opening quickly and Tyrell brings instant credibility,” Holl said. “He registers with the kids. This is a guy who has played this game in front of 100,000 people on a regular basis.

“He's walked the talk and our players know it.”

Sales was third on Penn State's defense with 68 tackles during the 2008 season. He had 154 tackles in his career with the Nittany Lions and played in four bowl games.

“Coaching has been in the back of my mind,” said Sales, who has a marketing degree from Penn State. “My first loyalty is to Lyneil's clinic, but both of these positions are beneficial to me.

“I can grow in both areas. I enjoy working with the kids and if I could one day be a high school football head coach, I feel like I could do some good things.

“Just being around football ... It's something I always want to be a part of,” he added.

Sales signed as a free agent with the Colts following the 2009 NFL Draft. He was waived prior to training camp.

Last year, he was on Montreal's active roster for three weeks.

“They're only allowed 19 Americans on a roster up there and I got caught up in a roster shuffle,” he said.

He had to pay for his own transportation to pursue anything further in the Arena League.

“It just wasn't worth pursuing anything as a player anymore,” Sales said.

Sales is assisting Mitchell in all phases of his business, including exercise programs, performance training and the facility's sports science lab.

“This whole thing is good for my career. It's gratrifying being at the clinic and on the field,” Sales said. “I'm in a good place right now and I'm grateful for it.”

Holl feels the same way.

“I lose a key assistant coach and a guy with this kind of background and resume falls into my lap,” the coach said. “How lucky is that?”