Tyra is a resident of the fictional Dillon, Texas. She works at Applebee's and lives with her mother and older sister, who is a stripper. Little is known about her absent father. Initially the girlfriend of Tim Riggins, she spends most of the series actively hating Dillon, Texas and everything about it.

Palicki was a series regular on the first three seasons of NBC 's drama series Friday Night Lights from 2006 to 2009, portraying Tyra Collette. In early 2011, she returned for the final two episodes of the series.