Marshall on mission to raise awareness on mental health
New York Giants wide receiver Brandon Marshall said he originally declined an invitation to speak about mental health — his biggest off- the- field passion — to NFL owners and coaches at their annual meeting in March. Ultimately, he obliged, and it turned into “the most powerful presentation” he’s given.
“You could’ve heard a pin drop in the room,” Giants owner John Mara told USA TODAY Sports in a phone interview. “The way Brandon was so frank and direct about his mental health issues in his life resonated with everyone in the room. He immediately helped humanize players more, which helped articulate that this business is about more than football or making money. ... In 15 minutes, he raised our consciousness to the reality of an issue.”
Marshall, one of the most prominent professional athletes to publicly advocate for mental health awareness, shared his account of his mental illness and struggles before his diagnosis, which led to a laundry list of run- ins with the law.
Most notably, Marshall shared his message — that the sports world and society need to accept mental illness as a disease — and the steps necessary to destigmatize the taboo topic. “It wasn’t just lip service this time,” he told USA TODAY Sports. “All the teams’ coaches and owners were there and embraced the conversation. I said I wasn’t going to come unless they were ready to really hear me.”
Marshall, 33, in the twilight of his NFL career and with his fifth team, considers football his platform but mental health awareness his purpose. He’s been a mental health advocate since being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in 2011. He and his wife, Michi, founded Project 375, dedicated to eradicating the stigma surrounding mental health by raising awareness and implementing training.
“Man, if you would have asked me eight years ago what does mental health mean to me, I would have said mental toughness,” Marshall said. “Another part of my answer would’ve been ‘ masking pain.’ As football players, we are taught to never show weakness, to never give an opponent an edge. To open up when something hurts, in our culture, is deviant. But when you really sit down and think about it, connecting with those emotions is the real strength.”
Since the meetings, Marshall says he’s noticed a ripple effect, with several owners reaching out to him. “It’s been phenomenal,” he said. “What I’ve found is that when you’re real, people come out of the ( woodwork). I remember back in 2011, when I first left McLean Hospital ( in Belmont, Mass.), I told everyone, ‘ This is what I’ve been dealing with.’ Then I had a teammate pull me aside to say, ‘ Thank you, I suffer from bipolar disorder. You just gave me the courage to be braver and deal with this.’ ”