Kyle Johnson

On September 9, 2017, Tyler Hilinski was on top of the world—leading Washington State to a thrilling triple-overtime win over Boise State in front of a packed stadium. But just four months later, on January 16, 2018, Tyler passed away due to suicide. Tyler was my teammate, and his loss struck my teammates and me to the core. He was an amazing young man, full of life and “bubbly” to anyone who knew him. After his death, I carried guilt with me for a long time. Before Tyler’s passing, he was my backup quarterback. That meant I saw him as competition and, because of that, I didn’t fully open up to him—or let him or the other quarterbacks in. I often caught myself thinking, “I could have treated him better.” or “How did I not see it?” Through his loss, two truths became clear to me: 1. Sports and life are about people first. Whoever you see as competition is still human, just like you. You never know what someone else is going through. Follow the Golden Rule: treat others the way you want to be treated. 2. It’s okay to ask for help. In fact, it’s strength—not weakness. Tyler’s parents, Mark and Kym, turned their grief into purpose by creating @HilinskisHope, a nonprofit dedicated to ending the stigma around mental health and providing athletes with the resources they need. They’ve done remarkable work—so much so that the first full week of October is now recognized as Student-Athlete Mental Health Week. This year, it runs October 4–11, with hundreds of colleges participating. If you watch college football this week, you’ll see their sticker on helmets nationwide. This year, I am humbled and honored to partner with Hilinski’s Hope to honor Tyler’s legacy and strengthen student-athlete mental health. For every copy of The Mind Strength Playbook purchased through the links on this page, I will personally donate 100% of my proceeds directly to Hilinski’s Hope. I’m proud to do my part to help athletes access the tools and support they deserve. And I’m honored to stand with Hilinski’s Hope in carrying forward Tyler’s legacy and helping our student-athletes. bookpal.com/the-mind-strengt… #StudentAthleteMentalHealthWeek #HilinskisHope