Good Works captain Teton Saltes gears strong voice

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New Mexico seniorTetonSaltestakes a long pause when askedabout the driving force behind hisadvocacy work in suicide prevention.It's a tough question, but the6-6, 332-pound senior tackle's answer starts with the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in the South Dakota Badlands before it winds into his personal mi sion."It's incredibly beautiful there,"Saltestold Sporting News."It's home, and I love it, but we have a lot of i sues there that plague our community and our youth in particular."Then Saltes describes the reality he knows. The suicide rate for Native Americans ."Suicide rates are high,"he said."It's impoverished. Unemployment rates are 80-90 percent there. Teen suicide rates are five times higher than Mark Walton Jersey  the national average where I'm from."A lot of people back home feel like we don't have a voice," he said. "When they look at Native people today, it's kind of like they aremi sing a connection. A lot of people feel forgotten in that sense."MORE: Saltes wants to change that narrative with his voice. Hecan addre s that uncomfortable conversation,one that comes with the first-hand experience of seeing 20-plus people in a two-bedroom house with dirt floors. He is trying to bring hope to that conversation through his actions, and that starts with volunteering his time on suicide hotlines. That's part of the mi sion."The reason why me and my family are in that work is because it's a nece sity,"he said."Its a hard topic. Nobody wants to take it on, and nobody in life wants to deal with that because its hard. But ignoring a problem doesnt make it go away."Saltesspoke with the U.S. Conference in 2019 as a student amba sador for the Save the Children Advocacy Network. He is pushing the New Mexico state legislature about mental health i sues for Kevin Huber Jersey  student-athletes.For his efforts,Salteswas named the captain of the .The 22-member team is recognized every year for charitable contributions off the field.SaltesinspiredformerHeisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow through an Instagram conversation in September.Tebow took a rare look at the comments section and he was amazed at the impact."What hes doing and the gravity of the situations hes working with is what stands out,"Tebow said."Being able to help people in truly sometimes their darkest hour of need is huge. If it was reading to children, he stepped up. If it was delivering food, he stepped up. If it was the suicide hotline, he stepped up." Saltesstepped up within the confines of the COVID-19 pandemic, andthatcontinuedonspring break. He expected to be back at Pine Ridge for a week, but it turned into a two-month mi sion.Despite some challenges,Saltescontinued to help those in need on the reservation."It was different,"he said."We were out helping families. Andrew Billings Jersey  We were delivering food. We were working with suicide prevention and mentorship. Transporting young people who tried to kill themselves. All that work, and we did a lot of it through Zoom.Children werent in school. We wanted to make sure they were still getting the things they need."Saltesreturned to Albuquerque for his senior season at New Mexico, Brandon Thompson Jersey  but that took a turn when the team moved to Las Vegas for the final six weeks of theseason because of COVID-19 concerns.Saltescontinued his advocacy work. It meant talking to elected officials on Zoom during breaks."It was more difficult to help people because I couldnt be there in person, but I wasstill able to work through Zoom and other platforms,"he said."I was reading to kids, talking to first-grade cla ses in Albuquerque.In life, you have to adjust to what is going on."Saltesfound rewards on the field in 2020. The Lobos beat Fresno State 49-39 on Dec. 12 to end the season on a two-game winning streak. He usedthat football experiences to inspire children and adolescents in Albuquerque. That platform with the Lobos helped, and he continues to turn those experiences into something that can help back at Pine Ridge.That is where that charitable work will continue."On the reservation back home, football is not a very big sport there,"he said."Theyve never really had someone to look up to in that Russell Bodine Jersey  sport back home. Now, Im kindofout there and making a little bit of a name for myself. Theyre able to see that."Its so important for me to bea role model,"he said."I hope to inspire and instill some of that hope into the community. The community has been decimated for years, and there is not a lot of hope."Salteshas avoice, andwith that is areason for hope. That is something Tebow  one of the more recognizable voices in the sport for the past decade  appreciated in a turbulent 2020."Teton has an amazing story, and this is just the beginning of the impact hes going to have during his life,"he said.Saltes will be honored at the Allstate Sugar Bowl for his work this season. Visit AFCA.com for more on the .