Hayden Hartigan is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Desert Edge for AZPreps365.com

Before the first whistle blows, Antonio “Tarzan” Para – a Southern Utah signee – is already setting the tone, hyping up teammates and commanding the energy for Desert Edge. 

Para, a physical, downhill safety, backs up his nickname with rare production in his senior season – 112 total tackles, 26.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks, plus four blocked punts, while also running a 10.94-second 100-meter dash. 

Para’s nickname, “Tarzan,” goes beyond his long hair. 

“It’s like an alter-ego really,” Para said. “The minute I step on the field, I’m a different person.”

For Para, the energy is constant. It shows up in the locker room, in the middle of a drive and even at practice, where his voice matches his performance. At Desert Edge, Para isn’t just a star – according to head track and field coach Sharod Selph, he is the leader of both programs.

“He is going to go down as one of the greatest leaders we have ever had at Desert Edge, football and track,” Selph said. “He’s one of the best kids, one of the best humans that we’ve ever coached. … Antonio would legit run through a wall for you and he will run until there’s nothing left in his body. That’s the type of heart that kid has.”

Desert Edge senior Antonio Para (left) poses with track and field head coach Sharod Selph during pracitce on March 6, 2026, in Goodyear. (Hayden Hartigan photo/AZPreps365)

Star wide receiver Dayvon Standard, an Oklahoma State signee, said Para delivered pregame and postgame speeches for every game – none more memorable than after a 66-27 senior night win over Millennium this past season. 

“He’s a grounded person overall; everything he does, he takes it seriously,” Standard said. “He’s a motivator.”

Para said being the leader of the team meant everything to him. 

“I get emotional thinking about it because I care so much, thinking about all the guys,” Para said. “I just wanted to develop leadership qualities and the biggest thing is just being cool, being a great friend to everybody on the team. … At the same time just laying it all out on the line for your team and leading by example, being the pinnacle of what everybody needs to be on that team.”

Para’s ability to create negative plays and disrupt the offense is elite – his 26.5 tackles for loss –  a total that would have led all of college football by more than 4 TFLs is production rarely seen from the safety position. He attributes his success to many things, but mainly his film study. 

“The more film that I’d watch, the better game I’d have,” Para said. “I’d try and get hours and hours and hours per week.”

Para said he looked up to multiple safeties growing up, but Troy Polamalu and Bob Sanders were his biggest influences.  

“They’re very aggressive and arguably had some of the best seasons of any defensive back,” Para said. “[Bob Sanders] was very physical and undersized, and overall a doubted player and I resonated with that. He was the 2007 Defensive Player of the Year, and anytime I used to doubt myself .. I was like ‘there’s guys who have done it.’”

Desert Edge has a history of athletes who have reached the Division I level – a standard Para has learned from firsthand. 

Fordham linebacker Jaylen Dawson and Northern Arizona linebacker Joshua Hopphaus were instrumental in Para’s early development, setting the standard for what it takes to reach the next level. Para began his career as an outside linebacker before transitioning to defensive back, modeling parts of his game after Dawson and Hopphaus while continuing to evolve at a new position. 

That transition was further shaped by his close relationship with Camren Hamiel – the No. 1 ranked player in Arizona’s 2026 class and Texas A&M signee, according to 247Sports – who helped elevate Para’s footwork and overall understanding of the game.

“His footwork is really good, so he taught me a lot of stuff that he knew and it really benefited me and helped me a lot,” Para said. “At the same time, I helped him in the weight room. We were just that dynamic duo. We really helped each other a lot.”  

Para won a 2025 5A State Championship in football alongside Hamiel; his second title after capturing the 2024 AIA State Championship in the 4x100-meter relay.

In a dramatic last-second change, Para – then a sophomore – stepped into the 4x100 relay and led off a team that broke the program record with a time of 40.99 seconds to win the state title.

The relay team that included Jamar Beal-Goines, David Cabrera, and Jonathan Kamara helped build the confidence they all carried into football.

“That helped me compete against the best, and win at that type of level,” Para said. “That gave me so much confidence going into the next year when we won State in football.”

Selph said he is a strong believer in dual-sport athletes and the benefits of competing in track during the football offseason. 

“Coach Selph has definitely helped me develop as a person, develop as an athlete and believe in myself while understanding things don’t happen overnight,” Para said. “There’s been a lot of setbacks in my track journey and I’m still fighting … Coach Selph is going to help me a lot this season and I am going to shock the state.”

Para will leave behind a legacy defined by relentless energy, demanding leadership, and play style that wreaked havoc on offenses across Arizona and elevated those around him during his tenure at Desert Edge.

That legacy, Para said, is about passing it on.

“Really motivate the younger guys to do what I did,” Para said. “Pass down the torch – that's what it’s all about, … teaching the younger guys what they need to do to be successful." 

Before the first whistle – and long after it – Antonio “Tarzan” Para set the standard.