Since April, two football players have committed suicide. The first was Owen Thomas, a junior at the University of Pennsylvania. An autopsy done by Boston University revealed that Thomas had suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a condition that causes “poor decision-making, impaired memory, erratic behavior, use of drugs and alcohol, depression and suicide.” Researchers claim that they cannot draw a direct connection between CTE and Thomas’ suicide, but efforts to increase awareness about the dangers of head injuries are underway at the University of Pennsylvania. The happy-go-lucky linebacker was ‘the most popular player on the team’ according to his coach, making the death a complete surprise to friends and family of the star athlete.
This past week, suicide took a second life of Denver Bronco’s wide receiver Kenny McKinley. Friends of McKinley blame the suicide on a depression caused by a recent knee surgery. McKinley had told friends that he wouldn’t know what to do with himself if he couldn’t play football, and announced that he should just kill himself during a game of dominoes. The warning signs, however, were not taken seriously by his teammates. Those closest to McKinley had all seen him recently, and note that he was happy and ‘had a huge smile on his face’. The suicide of McKinley shocked friends and family, just as the death of Thomas came as a complete surprise to those closest to him.
Being a star athlete carries a lot of responsibility. Children and peers alike look up to these individuals, putting them on a pedestal of strength and invulnerability. It is clear, however, that these individuals were hurting and needed help. I cannot say that the stigma of mental illness prevented Thomas and McKinley from seeking council, but something did. Just as I was learning about these suicides, however, I did come across one article that promises hope for athletes going through similar struggles. Lakers star Ron Artest is speaking up about mental health issues, and in a big way. He is showing support for Representative Grace Napolitano as she presses for more mental health services in schools. Artest has made it public that he himself has struggled with mental wellness issues, which were compounded by a lack of communication. Artest claims that he ‘bottled up his emotions’, causing them to ‘come out in the wrong way’ from time to time. While he does not outright state his condition, he is surely advocating for those in need to seek professional help when something is just not quite right. He admits hesitation due to an inevitable backlash, but states, “I felt kind of bad, I felt kind of stupid. But then I say, it’s not about me. It’s about the kids that I was trying to reach out to. That’s what was most important. I’ll just use myself and all the backlash and laughs, I worry about that later.”
Artest’s courage could not have come at a better time. Hopefully his blunt approach to mental wellness will encourage everyone, athletes or not, to seek professional help as needed. Any time a public figure steps up to speak about their personal struggles with mental illness, stigma is reduced a little more. Let’s just hope that his bravery prevents any future suicides amongst professional athletes.
If you want to help Compeer fight the stigma of mental illness follow this link to join our team as we Walk to Prevent Suicide with the AFSP.
Click Here for a link to the article concerning Owen Thomas
Click Here for a link to the article concerning Kenny McKinley
Click Here to find out more about Ron Artest’s attempts to reduce the stigma of mental illness.
