Tyrel Dodson wears the number 53 jersey as a football linebacker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas A&M.
Dodson grew up in Franklin, Tennessee, raised by his single mother Angela, and was rated a 4-star prospect by 24/7 Sports and Rivals after garnering several awards as a high school senior at Centennial High School.
He attended college at Texas A&M University, choosing to play for their college football team over other schools such as Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, and others.
As a freshman in 2016, Dodson recorded 27 tackles, including 1.5 for a loss, and recorded a fumble recovery as a reserve linebacker. He garnered a team-leading 105 tackles as a sophomore, with 11.0 for a loss and 5.5 quarterback sacks in addition to 3 interceptions and 6 pass breakups.
After a strong junior year in which he finished third on the team with 61 tackles, Dodson announced that he would forgo his senior year and declare for the NFL draft.
Dodson signed with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent following the 2019 NFL Draft. Following an incident in Arizona in which he was arrested and accused of domestic violence, Dodson received a six-game suspension after pleading guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges. He was later waived and re-signed to the practice squad upon finishing his suspension.
Dodson made his first regular-season appearance on September 13, 2020, during a 27–17 win over the New York Jets. He entered in place of starting middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, who suffered a shoulder injury, and was himself injured later in the game.
Dodson recorded his first career sack during the game, taking down jets quarterback Sam Darnold. With Edmunds out the following week against the Miami Dolphins, Dodson made his first career start.
He was placed on injured reserve on October 24, 2020. He was activated on December 12, 2020. Dodson played in 16 games in the 2021 season and recorded 15 tackles. On February 10, 2022, Dodson signed a one-year contract extension with the Bills.