Because the NFL season marches quickly into Week 8, gamers, coaches, and league personnel proceed to take care of challenges.
A few of these challenges aren’t typically shared publicly, however the latest elevated give attention to psychological well being has allowed a secure area for gamers to expose what they’ve been going via. Second-year Kansas Metropolis Chiefs linebacker Willie Homosexual Jr. despatched out a cryptic tweet earlier this month that opened some eyes to the every day struggles of NFL gamers and make clear an ongoing challenge.
I really like you all simply know my psychological well being is F’d up
— Willie Homosexual Jr. (@WillieG___) October 8, 2021
Homosexual lately spoke in regards to the tweet, discussing his struggles with psychological well being. He shared with reporters that he’s had points which have dated again to highschool and faculty.
“I used to be going via some issues in life, and folks suppose these NFL gamers are bulletproof or no matter,” Homosexual instructed reporters on Saturday. “We have been taught rising as much as maintain it in, simply go on about your day and preserve distractions away, however generally – I bought to the purpose the place I used to be like I can’t shake this, and I needed to inform my coaches, I needed to inform those who I work with. That’s after I Tweeted it, and it was only a lot weighing on me on the time. I simply had my child boy, he’s lastly right here, doing good, and it was only a lot happening on the time. Generally you simply must let that stuff out so you possibly can transfer on.”
Homosexual has handled harm this season and is simply working his means again to full well being. That alone generally is a big problem and stressor for a participant. However even when all the pieces goes proper on the sector, that doesn’t imply gamers aren’t coping with different issues.
“Coming to the NFL, man, folks suppose all the pieces’s excellent,” mentioned Homosexual. “You’ve bought just a little cash otherwise you play Sunday, you simply have to remain humble and let folks know, ‘I’m nonetheless human on the finish of the day.’ I nonetheless have emotions. I nonetheless get offended. I nonetheless get confused. I can [make] 10 tackles and nonetheless be confused. You’ve simply bought to make certain you stability it out, man.”
Whereas Homosexual nonetheless has an ongoing battle along with his psychological well being, his tweet was met with assist from Chiefs teammates and personnel.
“All people was texting me,” mentioned Homosexual. “All people was checking in on me from coaches to coaching employees, tools employees, in fact, all my teammates simply ensuring I used to be good after I was right here. They know me effectively. They know after I’m having a type of days, and I really feel like I’m a man that after I’m having a great day, you’re going to know, and after I’m not, you possibly can positively inform. However they did an actual good job with simply retaining me heading in the right direction and serving to me out. A easy ‘you good bro?’ it goes a great distance, and so they did an actual good job with that.”
Homosexual Jr’s scenario reminds us that it doesn’t matter what stage of success you obtain in life, everybody nonetheless wants correct emotional assist and understanding.
