By ROB MAADDI, AP Pro Football Writer
The pressures from the NFL were getting to Marcus Smith II.
He hadn’t lived up to the hype of being Philadelphia’s first-round pick, leading to anxiety, depression, panic attacks, being cut by the Eagles, and moving from across the country to Seattle. Smith didn’t talk about his mental health because he didn’t want anyone to think he wasn’t strong enough to play in the league.
On his way to Seahawks practice in August 2018, he stopped at the edge of a hill, ready to climb out of it. A call from his pregnant wife and his mother-in-law made him change his mind. He went to practice and told coach Pete Carroll and defensive line coach Cliff Hurtt what happened.
“(Carroll) supported me in every possible way. He actually helped me get that therapist, let me know everything was going to be okay,” said Smith, who was drafted in 2014. “It took me at least six or seven months to go through all the things from the past that I never had boarded. … If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have done what he was doing and probably wouldn’t be here today.”
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Smith has dedicated himself to making sure other players don’t get to the breaking point he was at. He is also among many former active NFL players sharing their personal stories to break down the stigma surrounding mental health and encourage people to seek the help they need. The league and the NFL Players Association also offer resources for teams.
“I definitely think we’re moving in the right direction with guys really opening up and reaching out for help,” Smith said on the AP Pro Football Podcast. “I just want to make sure it’s not too late. That’s why we have to keep talking about it.”
Hall of Fame safety Brian Dawkins has been working to educate people about mental health — or brain wellness, as he likes to call it — since his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
Two-time Super Bowl champion Malcolm Jenkins, who retired after last season, has been outspoken about weekly therapy sessions helping him deal with stress because he wants young people to know it’s not a weakness.
Six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Marshall has become an outspoken mental health advocate since being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder during his playing career.
Cleveland Browns offensive lineman Chris Hubbard hosts an annual event for mental health through his Overcoming Together Foundation. Hubbard was drawn to the subject after a high school friend committed suicide.
“I know for a lot of us, especially the African-American community, that’s not talked about,” Hubbard said. “I wanted to get to a level where I can help others, so that people know that you are not alone, that we are in this together and that we can get through this together.”
Free agent safety Douglas Middleton, who has played parts of six seasons with six teams, started the Dream the Impossible Foundation to help people with mental health issues after his best friend died by suicide in 2017.
Middleton emphasizes the importance of proactively seeking therapy.
“I always tell people it’s not something you do in response to having a bad day,” he said. “It’s more like how can I make sure I don’t have a bad day, how can I be the best version of myself. You’re not going to lift weights when you’re feeling down. You’re going to lift weights to keep feeling good, looking good, and being a healthy person. So, you have to treat your mental health like your physical.”
The NFL and the NFL Players Association agreed in May 2019 to increase mental health resources available to players and club staff. Each team is required to have a licensed behavioral health physician on staff, as well as a pain management specialist.
The players’ union makes a doctor directory available to all players to help them find a doctor near them, be it a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker or counselor.
Through their insurance, all players receive up to eight free advice sessions at no cost. NFL Life Line provides on-the-spot suicide prevention, crisis management and problem resolution with trained crisis counselors.
There is also a supplemental health benefit through The Trust, serving players who have or had at least two seasons in the NFL, which provides former players with access to outpatient psychiatric services and counseling in their home communities. And the Professional Athletes Foundation provides wellness tips and resources for former players.
“We don’t want this dark picture around mental health,” Smith said. “It’s a journey you can get through.”
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