Sat next to his family and grandpa at the spring game this past year. They were incredible people and were so incredibly proud of Nolan and seeing him wear the gold helmet. The weather was awful and it was my three year old son’s first trip to the stadium and they went out of their way to interact with him.
I’ll pray for Nolan and hope you all will join me. The whole “Kicking the Stigma” promotion by the NFL might be the most impactful outreach they do. I can’t count the number of men I’ve been connected with over the past 10-15 years who’ve either committed or attempted suicide because they were “staying strong” and trying to fight their battles alone. And the precipitating factor is vastly different in everyone. I had a point during my senior year of college where I was in an extremely dark place and while I never made an attempt on my own life, the thoughts were definitely there. If it wasn’t for my family and a couple of really good friends, who knows what would’ve happened. The best thing we can do is advocate for ourselves as men and be there as support for those who need it. Nobody has to struggle alone.
I hope he gets the help he needs not only to further his football career, but to live a long and happy life.
