Arizona defensive back Treydan Stukes’ path to where he is has not been a straight one.
The defensive captain started his career as a walk-on and his first season was 2020 where he was sequestered from a good chunk of campus and his own team. Each year, his role has grown and grown and he now finds himself in at nickel this year under Johnny Nansen’s defense.
How does he stay motivated in good times and bad?
Embracing the suck.
It’s a lesson he learned at Millennium High School under head coach Lamar Early.
“Embrace the suck” became a rallying cry for the team as they had an impressive 18-6 run in 2018 & 2019. The mantra means to go all-in on that parts that may, well, suck behind the scenes: the tough summer workouts, the weight room sessions and conditioning that players dread and the mental grind pushing when there may not be an evident light at the end of the tunnel. By celebrating those tough parts, you can appreciate the time under the bright lights knowing you’re fully prepared.
Even now, three years removed from his time with the Tigers, Stukes continues to embrace the suck. He broke that down as well as a Wildcat that may be flying under the radar heading into the 2023 season.
