[1] The son of two engineers, he grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, and was known for his "off-the-charts intellect," according to the Los Angeles Times.
[3] Sykes was also a talented athlete from a young age, lettering in four sports at Rockhurst High School while being the first freshman to start a football game there.
[5] Sykes committed to play college football for the Harvard Crimson and appeared in eight games as a true freshman.
[4][6] After the Ivy League canceled the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sykes returned in 2021 and became a first-team all-conference selection with 29 tackles and a team-leading seven sacks.
[7] Sykes ultimately transferred to play with the UCLA Bruins, and appeared in 13 games, six as a starter, in the 2022 season, earning third-team All-Pac-12 honors from Pro Football Focus (PFF) after posting 29 tackles and a sack.