Evan Jimenez is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Higley High School for AZPreps365.com

GILBERT, Ariz. — When Antonio Young isn't catching passes for Higley, he might be found in the kitchen preparing dinner for his family.

Cooking has been part of Young's life since childhood, when he would help his mother prepare meals during family gatherings.

"He's always been the one ever since he was little," Young's mother Latoya said. "(On) Thanksgiving, he was always with me, learning how to cook."

Today, Young has become the primary cook in the household, taking on responsibilities that extend beyond the football field.

For Young, being a student-athlete means more than preparing for Friday night games. His days are shaped by commitments at school, on the football field and at home.

His daily routine begins with school. After classes, he eats lunch, receives treatment and makes his way to football practice. When practice ends, he sometimes spends time eating or hanging out with teammates before heading home.

Outside of school and football, Young also works part-time in the restaurant industry, adding another commitment to his already busy schedule.

Even after returning home, Young's responsibilities continue. He takes care of household tasks, prepares dinner and eventually gets ready for the next day.

His mother sees the demands of his schedule firsthand. During football season, she said, his school and practice commitments often keep him away from home until the early evening.

"Between getting up for school in the morning, making himself some breakfast, getting himself out the door, with school and practice," she said. "If he doesn’t have to work, then I’ll see him somewhere around 6 or 7 p.m., and it’s straight to the shower."

As one of six siblings, Young also recognizes the role he plays as an older brother. He has family members he can look up to, while also understanding the importance of setting an example for his younger sister, Destiny Young, who plays basketball at Gilbert High School. 

"One of my biggest things is helping my little sister, making sure she's right, making sure she has everything she needs, and kind of just making sure that she can do good in what she does and I can do good in what I do," Young said.

His mother has noticed that protective side of him, describing him as someone who has taken on a leadership role within the family. After his parents separated, she said, Young began taking on additional responsibilities around the house while trying to be a role model for his sisters.

"He really just kind of stepped up and felt like he had to be the man of the house, even though he didn't have to," she said. "He fixes things and just tries to take care of stuff."

That sense of responsibility is one reason his mother takes pride in the person he has become, one who is respectful, polite and committed. For Young, those responsibilities do not disappear when football season gets busy. He acknowledges that keeping up with schoolwork can be difficult when practices and other commitments take up much of his day.

"The biggest challenge is kind of just keeping up with the work," Young said. "They put a lot of work out, where you kind of have to do at home, and some days, you don't have every opportunity to do that."

He said his teachers have generally been understanding when football responsibilities interfere with assignments, allowing him to explain the situation and ask for additional time when necessary.

One example came during Higley's playoff run last season. Young had a presentation due on the same day the team played Casteel. With football responsibilities taking up much of the previous evening, he found himself rushing to finish the assignment shortly before class.

He finished the presentation, but the experience showed how quickly school and football can compete for his attention. 

Young also recognizes that playing football requires sacrifices outside the classroom. Some of his closest friends do not play the sport, making it difficult to spend time with them during the season.

"All the time," said Young when asked whether he has had to sacrifice time with friends and family. "We don't get the opportunity to go and hang out with our friends that don't play football."

Still, seeing those friends attend Higley's games gives him an opportunity to reconnect. Their support is a reminder that the people around him remain part of his life even when his schedule limits the time they can spend together.

His time at Higley has also shaped the person and teammate Young has become. When he first arrived as a freshman, he said he was overconfident in his abilities and often relied on his size and athleticism.

"Coming here, I was a lot bigger than most people," Young said. "I was about 175 pounds as a freshman."

An injury during his freshman season changed that approach. Young said he suffered a significant hamstring injury that limited his ability to play. The experience forced him to focus more on learning the game instead of relying solely on his physical skills.

"It taught me to be more of a learner than just believing in my skills," Young said. "I was able to learn more about what to do and kind of involve myself more. Even in class, it made me focus more because I had nothing else to do and I didn't want to slack off."

That mindset carried into his sophomore year, when Young decided to take a zero-hour class, keeping him at school from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

That growth has extended beyond the classroom. Although Young is quiet and protective of his family away from the football field, he has become more vocal among his teammates at Higley. 

"I describe myself as a leader," Young said. "I try to keep everybody around me to a higher standard and try to keep myself to a higher standard."

Higley head coach Eddy Zubey has also seen that growth. During Thursday team meetings, Zubey gives players an opportunity to speak in front of their teammates. He said one particular moment involving Young stood out during his development.

"To hear him get up and talk passionately about his care for his teammates, what Higley football means to him and how he played for the seniors last year, it was really cool," Zubey said.

Now a senior, Young has continued to embrace that role, setting an example for the teammates who will follow him.

Young also credits Zubey with helping him grow as a person. He described the coach as a father figure to the team, someone players can turn to when they are dealing with difficulties away from football.

"Father Zubey right there," Young said. "He would call us out of class just to give us a break, talk to us, see what's going on and make sure our mental health is good. He'd kind of just joke around and have fun with us, making sure everyone is having a good time."

After his freshman season, Young said, watching how Zubey led the team inspired him to become a better person and leader himself.

"After my freshman year, it was just seeing the things that he does and the things he talks about," Young said. "It kind of just brought me into being a better person myself and just wanting to be better in my own life."

As Young looks toward life after high school, he is keeping his college options open while finishing his senior season. He hopes to study business management and eventually pursue a career in real estate.

Football has been part of Young's life since he was four years old, and he hopes to continue playing for as long as he can. Still, he recognizes that his future will eventually extend beyond the sport.

"I love this sport. It's been my life since I was four years old, when I played tackle football, and I would love to keep on playing this sport, but I know that this sport's not gonna be here forever," Young said.

When asked what he hopes people remember about him beyond being a football player, Young returned to the same qualities he tries to demonstrate every day.

"A leader, somebody who kids can look up to and can be like, 'Oh, I want to be like that person,'" Young said. "Because my life wasn't always perfect, and I feel like I was overconfident in my freshman year, and I kind of just learned to stabilize myself, keep myself in check. Try to not just be a great leader, but be a good friend, be there for my teammates whenever anything happens."

Young said his teammates can reach out to him even during the offseason if they need someone to talk to or any type of help.

"I've been through everything, so I know that I can be there for them in any kind of way," Young said.

For Young, the measure of a leader isn't what he accomplishes on the field, but the difference he makes in the lives of those around him.