Former collegiate footballer Younes Dayekh begins recovery process after serious car accident
Younes Dayekh. Remember that name.
For college soccer teammates at Bradley, St. Mary’s College and Illinois-Chicago (UIC), they know that name all too well. He’s the one they can count on to bring his A game both on and off the field. He has an infectious smile, is full of life and by far is the one who lights up a room.
The light is a bit dimmer these days, but hopefully not for long.
On May 13, Dayekh was riding in a car with two of his best friends, Jack Dunn and David Gjeraker. The trio of former Bradley teammates reunited to celebrate Dunn’s upcoming nuptials to his high school and college sweetheart, Grace Markovich, one day later. The three old friends couldn’t have been happier.
“Younes and David came in early,” Dunn said. “It was absolutely tremendous. We just had the best couple of days ever. It was just like freshman year. We went on runs, played soccer and just hung out.”
And then — a car T-boned theirs. Dunn’s door was smashed in and he was in a lot of pain. Gjeraker had minor injuries. But Dayekh wasn’t doing well. Dunn immediately called Markovich to tell her what had happened.
“The lady turned right into us,” Dunn said. “There was a brief period of time where I may have been unconscious. I called Grace. I knew someone was already calling 911. I wanted to let her know because I knew Younes was in bad shape.”
Luckily for everyone, the ambulances arrived quickly. Markovich, who is an ER nurse, raced to the scene, with her parents not far behind. When she got there, both Dayekh and Dunn were on their way to the hospital. But Gjeraker was still there.
“When Jack called I knew it wasn’t a simple crash,” Markovich said. “He told me Younes is in bad shape. He’s breathing but he’s not responding. When I got there David was standing by the car. I asked him what their conditions were. He said Jack was in extreme pain, but seemed fine. Younes was not good. I talked to the firefighters to see if they called any codes. They called full trauma on both of them. But when they didn’t call a code on Younes, I knew he was still with us.”
Both Dayekh and Dunn were transported to Genesis Trauma Center for further evaluation. Dayekh’s spleen was lacerated and removed before they airlifted him to University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City. In addition to the lacerated spleen, Dayekh had neck and back fractures and also suffered a brain injury. Dunn had suffered some fractures and was taken by ambulance.
Dayekh’s father, Kamal, and brother, Yosuef, were in Texas when they got the call.
“My Dad got home from work and said I’m going to catch a plane ticket. It’s for Younes,” Yousef Dayekh said. “He was getting phone calls. I overheard them say he was airlifted in a helicopter. I was just praying everyone was OK. I knew everyone from pictures. He was super excited to be there. We packed a few clothes and just drove as fast as we could.”
Immediately, everyone was praying. And the wedding was put on hold until Younes can walk down the aisle with Dunn and Markovich. They were asking for prayers from around the country. The power of prayer and the power of hope can be very helpful.
“My dad has been a role model,” Yousef Dayekh said. “He keeps saying keep your faith in God. Everything happens for a reason. We’re Dayekhs. We’re always strong.”
Recovering from a brain injury takes time. Younes Dayekh is breathing on his own and is responding, just not as fast as everyone would like.
“Younes has been special his entire life — special in the game and special in life,” Dunn said. “I know he’s going to do something special here.”
Freshman year at Bradley, Dayekh and Dunn were part of a quartet. But soon it became just the two of them. Well, three if you count Markovich.
“Younes is my close friend,” Dunn said. “He became a part of my family, coming home for holidays.”
“When we met freshman year, I was the girlfriend hanging around the guys,” Markovich said. “He became a sibling. When he came home for holidays, he came to my parents’ house as well. I was part of the group.”
No sign of friendship may be greater than senior night on the pitch at UIC. Dayekh’s family couldn’t make it in for the event. So he asked Dunn and Markovich to escort him.
“He’s a very talented soccer player,” UIC head coach Sean Phillips said. “But what speaks louder about him is the valuable relationships he made and how quickly he made them. This couple he met his freshman year at Bradley walked him out on senior night. The impact he’s had on people is immeasurable.”
Dayekh began his collegiate career at Bradley. How did a kid from Northern California end up in the Midwest? It’s easy — networks.
“One of my first recruits was out of the Bay Area, Gavin Glinton,” Bradley head coach Jim DeRose said. “He was running a club in the Bay Area. They brought their club to a camp at Bradley. Gavin introduced Younes to me. A year later, he was playing on our team. His two years here were fantastic. He loves soccer. It’s in his DNA.
“How you carry yourself and treat people speaks volumes. Younes is very respectable, very coachable, very selfless. After the hardest day, the hardest practice, win or lose he always said thank you.”
After his sophomore year, Dayekh transferred to St. Mary’s College in California, where he finished his degree.
“I’ve known him since he was about 15,” St. Mary’s College head coach Adam Cooper said.” We recruited him out of high school, but we didn’t have a scholarship available. When he was looking to transfer, he contacted us and we made it happen.”
While it wasn’t the easiest decision to make, Dayekh left and made sure it was on the best of terms.
“He needed to go back to Northern California,” Bradley assistant coach Tim Regan said. “It was so selfless. It’s not normal for a player to transfer and keep great relationships. In his case, it was always for the right reasons. He’s pretty well liked everywhere, from coast to coast.”
At St. Mary’s, Dayekh relied on his experience to help lead the team.
“The experience and leadership he brought to the club as a transfer student was so helpful,” Cooper said. “We had a young group and he did a great job with the young kids. Of course, he also added to the firepower that we had. He was a big brother to all the guys. He’s a great role model and leader.”
Dayekh then finished up his collegiate career by attending graduate school at UIC. He made instant friends every step of the way.
“He’s engrained himself into three soccer families: Bradley, St. Mary’s and now UIC,” Phillips said. “The outpouring of support he’s received speaks to the type of kid he is. It’s very rare for someone to be at three programs and leave lasting relationships at all three.”
Phillips said they also had a relationship with Dayekh when he played his final year of eligibility at UIC.
“When he graduated, the uniqueness of eligibility extensions led him to us,” Phillips said. “We already had a relationship with him. He scored a lot of goals for us. But his energy and passion for the game was very unique. He did whatever it took. And he loved it with an endearing passion — a passion for the game or the team he was playing for, or Liverpool who he was cheering for. It was infectious.”
After graduation, Dayekh was still exploring opportunities to play. He hoped to play professionally. Soccer is a part of who he is. But it’s not only who he is. At 23, his life is just beginning.
“The soccer, that’s the least of our worries,” Regan said. “There are so many more important things in life. It’s the reason we all meet and get together. But life is more than just kicking a ball into the net. He’s well traveled for a young guy. He’s seen a lot. This is just something else for him to overcome.”
The Dunn and Markovich families have adopted Kamal and Yousef for now. They’re providing them with a place to stay, home cooked meals and family while Younes improves slowly but daily. Dayekh’s friends and family have stressed the power of prayer from the beginning. They also set up a fund to help with medical expenses.
It is going to be a long and expensive recovery. If you can help in any way, even by just saying a prayer, please do.
Follow Kathryn on Twitter: @Katknapp99.
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