This was all about closure.

Butler High School and Penn State University graduate Tyrell Sales recently returned from Italy, where he was a two-way starter for the Parma Panthers of the Italian Football League.

The team won the IFL’s version of the Super Bowl, defeating a squad from Sicily, 63-41. Parma finished 12-3 this season and qualified for the Euro Bowl Tournament, where it split games against opponents from Spain and Germany.

“That’s it for me now as a player,” Sales, 26, said. “I needed some type of closure to my playing days and I got it.

“Anyone wants to finish on top. Being able to run around the field, celebrating a championship with my teammates after my last game, is a memory I’ll never forget.”

Sales had plenty to do with that championship, too.

He made approximately 80 tackles as Parma’s middle linebacker, including three quarterback sacks, three interceptions — two returned for touchdowns — and five forced fumbles.

“We only gave up about 20 points per game in a run-and-shoot league that has a ton of wide open plays,” Sales said. “Only one running back got 100 yards on us all year.”

Offensively, Sales saw action at tight end, running back and fullback. He caught approximately 25 passes for 400 yards and eight touchdowns.

“It was fun getting my hands on the rock again,” he admitted. “That was the first time I played offense since high school.”

A two-year starter at Penn State (2008-09) who had 68 tackles from his linebacker spot as a senior, Sales had professional tryouts with the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, Canadian league Montreal Alouettes and arena ball’s Jacksonville Sharks in successive seasons, but did not stick with any of them.

“It’s a lot different playing high school and college ball, when you’re out there with your boys every day, working to win games,” Sales said. “Trying to make teams at the pro level is a lot of stress.

“I went through the two-a-days, the drills, the hot weather, then wound up getting cut all the time. That gets frustrating.”

Sales was ready to give up football when he was contacted by Parma coach Andrew Papoccia, the Panthers’ head coach and an Illinois State graduate.

Papoccia played in the IFL for a number of years and always maintained contact with American players, particularly after he went into coaching.

“There are a number of quality football players in the states with no where to play,” Sales said. “Coach Papoccia knows how to find them. He offered me the opportunity to go over there and play.

“It looked like a great opportunity to see another part of the world and play football at the same time. I treated it like spending a semester overseas.”

Each IFL team is permitted a maximum of three American players. Parma had Sales, running back Jaycen Taylor Spears from Purdue and receiver Kevin Grayson, a former All-American from Richmond.

Sales said most IFL teams have an American at quarterback. Parma had an Italian quarterback, enabling Parma to play all three of its Americans on both sides of the ball.

“Generally, in this league, the quarterback doesn’t play defense,” Sales said. “Having all three of us on defense made a big difference. We won a number of games by lopsided scores.

“Because of our dominance, the league is scaling the number of American players on a team back to two next year.”

Sales will not be among them, despite playing for a Parma team that has now won three consecutive IFL titles.

“I’ve got a good job working with (fellow Butler graduate) Lyneil Mitchell with Revolution,” he said. “When you find a good job, you do what you have to do to keep it.”

Revolution is a physical therapy and sports clinic in Cranberry Township.

“I’ll continue to work with high school athletes and stay involved with sports,” Sales said. “Though I won’t be playing anymore, I’m glad I went over there. I had a blast.”