*FAN SUBMISSION by Eugenio Garro of Toronto, Canada.*
Courtesy: Cleveland.com
The former NFL Buffalo Bills linebacker Darryl Talley confessed to the Buffalo News that he is currently suffering from a mental illness. He further stated that he believes his contemplation of suicide and struggle with depression is linked to the hard hits he used to endure while in the NFL. There has been many reports of similar cases from retired NFL players, such as Ronney Jenkins, Tony Dorsett, Joe DeLamielleure or Leonard Marshall.
The retired players all seem to have one thing in common: some sort of mental illness.
Darryl Talley went on to say that he also has episodes of memory loss and lack of sleep, lost track of the number of concussions he endured during his 14-years in the NFL, and is in constant pain due to countless surgeries to repair injuries while playing football. During his playing days, Talley spent 12 years in Buffalo as well as Atlanta and Minnesota.
While with Buffalo, Talley achieved four consecutive AFC championships from 1991-94. He retired after the 1996 season. Among those achievements, Darryl Talley’s name is also on the Wall of Fame at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
Due to a financial crisis in 2008, he was forced to close down the company he owned. As a result, he is struggling to “make ends meet.” It is unclear if Darryl Talley had lost his business in conjunction with struggling from depression.
[ Depression is a serious medical illness that is not to be taken lightly. If you or someone you know is suffering from depression or suicidal thoughts there are ways to help. Crisis hotline: anytime, anywhere: 1-800-273-TALK(255) ]
