A key cog on both sides of the ball, 2001 Salem Community High School graduate Tyler Lux helped the Salem Wildcats football team reach the Class 4A state playoffs three straight seasons.

Lux contributed to Salem’s 7-3 record during his sophomore season in 1998, but made his biggest contributions the next two seasons. During his junior season in 1999 Lux was an All-North Egypt Conference First Team selection at running back and was also named the squad’s Most Valuable Player on offense as the Wildcats once again went 7-3. Lux finished his high school career with an even better senior season in 2000 when he was not only once again an All-NEC First Team choice at running back, but also an All-NEC First Team choice at defensive end for a Salem team that finished the season with a 6-4 record. Lux received the Wildcats Team Most Valuable Player Award for the 2000 season.

Besides being a four-year member of the Wildcats football program, Lux also spent four seasons with the SCHS basketball program, two seasons in baseball and two seasons in track.
Lux continued to be a standout on the gridiron when he took his skills to Millikin University at Decatur. Lux played tight end four seasons (2001-04) with the Big Blue and like high school, saved his best season for last. Lux capped off his collegiate career when as a senior in 2004 he was named to the All-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin First Team. It was also in that 2004 season when Lux received Millikin’s Blue Helmet Award.

While Lux completed his undergraduate education at Millikin, he attended graduate school at Eastern Illinois University. Lux finished his education at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville where he got his degree in education specialist.

Lux entered the coaching ranks after he finished college. His first stop was at Mt. Zion High School where he served as a volunteer assistant baseball coach in 2005. Lux spent the 2005-06 school year as the head boys’ basketball coach at Brownstown High School. Lux returned to his high school alma mater in 2006. He served as an assistant football coach with the Wildcats from 2006-14 and as a volunteer football coach since 2015. Lux was freshmen boys’ basketball coach from 2006-10 and served as the SCHS Fellowship of Christian Athletes Huddle Coach from 2007-15.

Lux became assistant principal and athletic director at Franklin Park Middle School in 2015 and moved to the principal position for the 2016-17 school year. Lux was still in that position at the time of his induction in the Salem High School Sports Hall of Fame.