trey moses

Trey Moses is a former Ball State University basketball player from Louisville. He was the winner of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Inspiration Award. It is given annually to a coach, administrator, or student-athlete who, when faced with a life-altering situation, was able to overcome the event and, more importantly, now serves as a role model to give hope and inspiration to others in similar situations. Moses has made it his mission to let people know ‘it’s OK to not be OK’ after a lifetime of suffering from mental health difficulties.

Moses moved to Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana to study and play basketball after graduating from Eastern in 2015. He was diagnosed with severe depression by a counsellor at Ball State and began weekly counselling, before being admitted to the hospital twice during that year because he didn’t feel safe. Freshman Zach Hollywood of Illinois joined Moses on the Ball State basketball team in the summer of 2016, and the two became friends. Both were special education majors who liked the same music and had similar mental health issues. That August, Hollywood’s mother died at the age of 49, leaving him devastated. A year later, Hollywood took his own life. Moses returned to counselling after the death of his friend and sought solace from teammates. He then determined that by sharing his experience, he may save lives.

In 2019, Moses published a letter on eu.indystar.com telling his story in his own words for the first time. Moses went on to play professional basketball in Bulgaria after graduating from Ball State, before joining the Portuguese team Ovarense Basquetebol in 2020. Via Twitter, where he posts @treymoses32, Moses communicates with people who wish to express their mental health problems or ask how to help someone else who is hurting.