Keegan Brown is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Peoria High School for AZPreps365.com

PEORIA — Dontay Tyson Jr. has visited colleges all over the country, but his heart will always lie in Peoria.

“It’s always been a good community, a good atmosphere. I love everybody here,” the Peoria Panthers wide receiver said.

Tyson chose to spend his high school years in Peoria, declining the chance to attend the bigger Centennial High School, which plays one conference higher than Peoria. Despite the lower level of competition, Tyson has been a standout player, amassing 19 Division I offers as a junior.

“It’s surreal. It’s super exciting and we’re just trying to do what’s best for him,” Leekentha Tyson, Dontay’s mother, said.

She also commented on his decision to attend Peoria High School.

“He chose that school because he went to school with all those kiddos from day one,” she said. “It’s home and more comfortable, just a better fit for him for sure.”

The 6-foot-3-inch, 195-pound junior draws the attention of any defense he plays against. Joining the varsity team as a freshman, Panthers coach Jason Golden had praise for not just his physical presence but also his emotional and mental maturity.

“Just talking to him, he seemed really mature for an incoming freshman,” Golden said. “We got him some reps early in our varsity practice, and it was obvious he was just faster than everybody.”

“Going into his sophomore year, he really started to understand concepts and running routes. He has hands, and that’s getting him double- and triple-teamed every night.”

With family being an important part of Dontay’s life, when his sister Ascia was hospitalized for over a month last October, it pushed him to work even harder for her and his family.

“It definitely affected me,” Dontay said. “I was sad, it was a rough time, definitely. But I know I had to go harder for her.” He also confirmed that his sister is doing better: “She’s actually doing great now, so that’s a blessing.”

Leekentha reflected on how much Dontay did for Ascia when she was hospitalized, and on their relationship as siblings.

“They’re extremely close so yeah, he would come up to the hospital,” she said. “He was up there all the time, carving pumpkins and doing anything just to keep life as normal as possible. He loves spending time with his sister.”

That experience reinforced Dontay as both a person and an athlete. Golden was able to see how much Ascia’s health scare affected him.

“The family was very tight before this, and I just felt that they got tighter as a family and you could just see the love that they have as brother and sister,” Golden said. “Usually, sometimes brothers and sisters have a love-hate relationship, but I could see the support she always gave him and vice versa.”

Golden and Dontay’s relationship has only strengthened since his freshman year, and Golden has been helping Dontay both improve on the field and look to the future.

“Him and I are very close,” Dontay said. “Obviously, I was on varsity as a freshman, so we have a great relationship. He’s just a great guy all around, and he really cares about us.”

Golden said he has been trying to help Dontay with the recruiting process.

“It’s a long process,” Golden said. “This has been going on for a year and a half or so, and he’s already been on some recruiting trips.” 

Golden has been emphasizing that Dontay should choose a college in a place that he’d want to live.

“Is that a place you’d want to live? When you do pick a place, don’t just go because you like the coach,” he said. “Is that a place you could see yourself living? Is that a cool town to live in? Things like that.”

As recruiters continue to call, Tyson’s future looks bright. Although he doesn’t know where exactly it will take him, he knows one thing: he wants to build a family just as strong as his current one.

“Obviously I want to go to the NFL,” Dontay said. “But I also want to be a good man, a good father. Eventually, I want to come back here and give back to the community.”

Wherever he ends up, he knows Peoria will always be there for him.