Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown released a video on Monday speaking about mental health in the wake of Rondale Moore’s death on Saturday.
Brown noted it’s been a tough few months in the football community following the deaths of Moore, Marshawn Kneeland and Kyren Lacy. He spoke about his own mental-health struggles from his early 20s and encouraged players going through dark times to lean on their faith, reach out to therapists and practice positive affirmations, among other techniques for dealing with pressure, adversity and dark times.
“Guys, I want you to understand in the NFL community—things aren’t always going to go your way,” Brown said. “You may not get everything that you desire. Sometimes this game is not friendly. People are going to say nasty things about you—call you this, call you that—but none of those things, in that moment, define you. You just have to understand that this is just a short period of time, a short moment in your life. That’s gonna [pass in the snap of a finger]. We have the rest of our lives to live. We are incredible human beings who can accomplish the world. You already made it to the NFL. Don’t get down on yourself. I understand how it feels, I understand what it feels like to try to take care of your family. I understand all of those things when you’re trying to achieve this, trying to achieve that.”
