Sarah Fielding, writing in Talkspace: “The normalization of mental illness won’t happen overnight, but major platforms — like the NFL — can help push progress forward. The sooner the stigma around mental illness is broken down, the better — for professional athletes and all of us.”
Not that long ago, nearly five years to be specific, Skip Bayless, perhaps the most hated media personality in sports, made remarks about Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott that most people considered over-the-top insensitive—even for Bayless. In response to Prescott’s interview with Graham Bensinger, Prescott revealed that he had sought help in the offseason for anxiety and depression brought on by the death of his older brother, Jace, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dak Prescott to Graham Bensinger: When you have thoughts you’ve never had, I think that’s more than anything a chance to realize and recognize them, to be vulnerable about them. Being open about it and not holding those feelings in was one of the better things for me.
Bayless responded: “I don’t have sympathy for him going public with, ‘I got depressed. I suffered depression early in COVID to the point where I couldn’t even go work out,’” Bayless said. “Look, he’s the quarterback of ‘America’s Team’… If you publicly reveal any weakness, it can affect your team’s ability to believe in you in the toughest spots, and it could encourage others on the other side to come after you.”
Dak Prescott (photo courtesy Bloggingtheboys.com)
Prescott, who shouldn’t have had to defend himself, responded to Bayless’ remarks, telling reporters, “Before I can lead, I got to make sure my mind’s in the right place to do that and lead people to where they want to be. I think it’s important to be vulnerable, genuine, and transparent. I think that goes a long way when you’re a leader; your voice is heard by so many, and you can inspire.”
Even Bayless’ network, FOX Sports, chastised him, saying, “We disagree with Skip Bayless’ opinion on Undisputed this morning. We have addressed the significance of this matter with Skip and how his insensitive comments were received by people internally at FOX Sports and our audience.”
Some NFL players jumped to Prescott’s defense, including the-then Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who told reporters, “I think it’s great. I saw what Dak said, and I applauded him. I think it’s phenomenal that he is speaking out because that’s true courage and strength. It’s not a weakness at all.”
Immediately after Dallas defeated Atlanta that season, Falcons tight end Hayden Hurst caught up with Prescott on the field and commended him for his remarks. The exchange was captured on the Falcons’ mic’d-up video from the game. “I’ve got a lot of respect for what you did,” Hurst told him. “Came out and talked about — me and my mom have a foundation about suicide prevention. Respect the hell outta you for talking about it, man.”
What do academics who study athletes and mental health have to say about the issue? UNLV professor Brad Donohue says that “football players are less likely to pursue mental health programs than athletes in other sports, and one of the greatest reasons for this is perceived stigma.”
Former NFL wide receiver Brandon Marshall told USA Today, “If you would have asked me eight years ago what mental health means to me, I would have said mental toughness. Football players are taught never to show weakness or give an opponent an edge. To open up when something hurts, in our culture, is deviant. But when you think about it, connecting with those emotions is the real strength.”
Hershel Walker as a Dallas Cowboy (photo courtesy Touchdown Wire — USA Today)
That said, consider Hershel Walker’s situation. The Heisman Trophy winner and NFL star running back was diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), also known as multiple personality disorder. About it, Walker told Jim Thompson of the Athens (Ga.) Banner-Herald that he was particularly surprised by his NFL friends, some of whom he’d helped through their crises, who didn’t want to have anything to do with him after he started talking about his illness. “DID is not Sybil or Three Faces of Eve, Walker told ESPN then. “DID is just an illness that people are dealing with.”
Legendary Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw, who won four Super Bowls, has been open about his Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and his struggles with depression. “I thought maybe I could help people with awareness, help men get the strength and courage,” Bradshaw told the Chicago Tribune. “I have run into some colleagues who have made fun of me. I’ve had people try to make light of it. Depression is not something you make light of. It’s serious.”
In an interview with psychiatrist Alan Axelson, Bradshaw said, “I just didn’t want anybody to know all of the things about me that I didn’t want you to know. I didn’t want to be your hero; suddenly, your hero has flaws. That had something to do with it. I didn’t want to tell anybody the bad things about me.”
In a study on NFL players and mental health published in the Journal of Clinical Sports Psychology, one player said, “The reason it’s so lonely is we put those walls up . . . and nobody can know that I’m feeling concerned about my performance, that I’m insecure about this or that because football, in a sense, is ultimate meritocracy and such a manly thing that you just you always feel like you gotta be on, you know?”
Kudos to Prescott, Walker, Bradshaw, and others who are breaking down the stigma of mental illness in sports.
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This column first appeared in The Vacaville Reporter on September 26, 2020.
