Another N.F.L. legend admits that he dealt with suicidal thoughts after leaving the league.
16-season pro Brian Dawkins spoke openly to CBSSports about his career-long battle with depression. The soon-to–be Hall of Fame safety credits his fight with depression with pressures on-field, becoming a dad and anger issues. To fight his demons, he turned to alcohol.
Dawkins credits his faith and psychiatric help for helping him defeat his demons.
“My faith back then wasn’t that strong, so I listened to the other voice in my head, and that’s where suicidal thoughts came in, and then actually planning out how I would go about it in such a way that Connie (his wife) and my son would get the money from my insurance policy,” Dawkins said.
Dawkins isn’t the only player who has dealt with depression and suicidal thoughts while or after playing. Players like Junior Seau who took his own life after an illustrious pro career, have led to the league conducting more research on how multiple hits to the head as most players face who play football, effect those thoughts.
Others have taken to using alternative methods like CBD’s to fight off the depression and suicidal thoughts that come with the prescription medicine that players are often gifted with.
One of those players as former Green Bay Packer defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins. We had the chance to speak with Jenkins about his battle with injuries and pill addiction with CDB.
During our interview, he recalls how his addiction to pills led to alcohol and depression. It was only CBD products that saved him.
Listen to our interview below