Eagles legend Brian Dawkins joins Phillies to discuss mental health

What Dawkins lacks as a singer, he more than makes up for as a speaker. Earlier in the day, the Hall of Fame safety spoke to a sold out crowd about his own battle with mental illness. 

Dawkins’ issues went largely unnoticed during his playing days, but he’s been open about his mental health since retiring in 2012. During his rookie season, Dawkins struggled with alcoholism, depression and battled suicidal thoughts as he adjusted to life as a professional football player, newlywed and father. 

When discussing his struggles, Dawkins prefers the phrase “cerebral wellness” over mental health.

“The problem is that when I say mental health, what usually happens is a person will think of depression. They’ll think of stress. They’ll think of negative things when you say mental health, but we all have it. There’s such a negative stigma when it comes to mental health. That’s why I changed it to something else.”

Back in 2019, the NFL and NFLPA agreed to increase mental health resources for its players by requiring each team to hire a clinician dedicated to supporting players’ mental health. That same year, Eagles left tackle Lane Johnson missed three games while struggling with anxiety.

In an interview with Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, Johnson said his struggles go back to his days at Oklahoma. “I was living in hell for a long time,” he said. “It’s one of those things, it goes to bed with you, man. It wakes up with you, it’s there all the time. So (if you can’t) get a sense of how to control this, how to manage it, it will eat you up.”

According to the American Journal of Men's Health, masculine norms among American men continue to influence behavior and a general aversion to engage in self-help for mental health. In other words, men are still reluctant to acknowledge their own mental health struggles.

Hopefully players like Dawkins and Johnson will inspire more men to seek the help they need. May is National Health Awareness Month. If you or someone you know is struggling, there are plenty of resources available. Please don’t be afraid to ask for help.