Goodyear Desert Edge senior wide receiver Zerek Sidney was in the car when his dad got the shocking news over the phone.
Tracy Sidney was told that his best friend since the ninth grade had taken his life. This was during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. At the time, Zerek wasn't even thinking about playing college football someday.
Tracy didn't try to hide the news from his kids. Tracy said his friend was an Army veteran who suffered from PTSD, after serving several tours to Iraq.
"They were right there in the car with me," Tracy said. "They saw me get upset. I waited a little while to give them the details. I had to explain it to them.
"I told them, 'If anything that's ever going wrong with you, you call me.' "
It stuck with Zerek, who welcomed the
chance to be part of the Teen Life message of hope during September, National Suicide Prevention Month.
Each fall, high school athletes from all over Arizona record PSA-style videos to encourage their peers to reach out for help if they're struggling.
Zerek, a senior who has committed to the University of Washington, knew his dad's best friend well, he said. He was like a family member. So having an avenue to help others was something Sidney welcomed.
"It was good," Zerek said. "My dad wanted me to do it. I definitely wanted to do it. It was a good opportunity."
Sidney knows how people can get down when things aren't working out.
"If you're going through something, just reach out, honestly," Sidney said. "You're never alone. That's the main message."
Sidney suffered through valley fever last year, causing him to miss most of his junior season. It didn't hurt his recruiting; he still got the Washington offer.
He picked himself up and got himself healthy.
"My thing is mentality: always keep a positive space, doing things that affect you in a positive way," Sidney said. "I definitely kept God first, and my whole mindset was getting myself healthy. There was never the negative. It was 100% get back out there."
Last week, he showed he was back in Desert Edge's 20-0 win over Cave Creek Cactus Shadows, catching seven passes for 142 yards. The Scorpions are ranked No 1 this week in 5A in The Arizona Republic's conference rankings.
There are a record 63 student-athletes from 38 schools in Arizona participating in this month's HOPE campaign.
Tracy is proud of his son being part of this campaign.
"This was a situation where I actually found strength in him," Tracy said, about how Zerek navigated the bout with valley fever. "He was just so strong about everything. He had a poker face the entire time. He was like, 'Let's diagnose this so I can get back out on the field.' That was his attitude towards everything. When they finally found out what it was, he was, 'OK, put some medicine in me and let's go.' He was ready."
Coach Henri MacArthur said Sidney is playing as well as he ever has. Sidney, 6-foot, 180 pounds, played varsity as a freshman, helping the Scorpions reach the 5A final in 2023, a 42-41 loss to Gilbert Higley. As a sophomore, he had 45 catches for 591 yards and 11 touchdowns.
"It was great to see him back out there, back in action," MacArthur said. "The No. 1 thing Zerek provides is great trust in Blake (Roskopf), because their relationship on and off the field is really strong. Blake knows he's got somebody he can trust, who is going to run the right route and come down with the football, no matter what."
Roskopf, the starting quarterback who also committed to Washington, is happy to have Sidney back. Roskopf was 24 of 34 passing for 416 yards and three touchdowns against Cactus Shadows.
"It means a lot to have him part of the team," Roskopf said. "He's a great leader, a great person to be around. He uplifts everybody's spirits."
Help is available
Teens who are struggling are encouraged to call Teen Lifeline 24 hours a day, seven days a week at (602) 248-TEEN (8336) in Phoenix or (520) 327-TEEN (8336) in Tucson. Teens can also text (602) 248-8336 in Phoenix or (520) 327-8336 in Tucson between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. every day of the year. The 24-hour hotline is staffed by trained teen peer counselors, supervised by master's-level clinicians, from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Professional adult counselors answer calls at all other times.
In addition, a suicide crisis hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by dialing 988.
Richard Obert has been covering high school sports since the 1980s for The Arizona Republic. Catch the best high school sports coverage in the state. Sign up for Azcentral Preps Now. And be sure to subscribe to our daily sports newsletters so you don't miss a thing. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Desert Edge WR Zerek Sidney joins athletes in Suicide Prevention Month
