Recently, a football player unexpectedly ended his life. There were expressions of angst and surprise. Yahoo Sports noted that "Deaths of young NFL players never make sense," and then listed several other examples in recent years. the author lamented their ages, their "dreams," and their "too much to live for." This was all somewhat focused perhaps on the monetary rewards of professional sports and the attendant or parallel fame.
The exposé proceeds to mention mental struggles, appearances, and risks. There is little effort there to illuminate or expound on these. Having glossed over the collective lack of real familiarity in the fan/athlete relationship, the author wanders through the potentials for fans to perceive various issues or instances in which there may be no signs or indicia.
There are instances cited in which retirements have similarly been surprising. The theme of these is the underlying physical pain endured by those who make a living crashing into each other in pursuit of a pigskin. The author notes these examples as more readily accepted by fans. There are two coincident tangents there: that those athletes provided explanations, and that the explanations were seen as rational and reasonable.
But what of the suicide? No one likes that word. Articles that use itoften lead with something like:
"This story contains references to suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide and needs support now, call or text 988 or chat with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988lifeline.org."
There is merit in that. Warnings are positive, and resources are worthwhile. See AI Lacks Conscience? (September 2025), Mental Health Emphasis (February 2025), Remediation and Reminders (November 2024), Construction? (June 2024), And September is Awareness Month (September 2022).
There is room here for some criticism. The focus of the author is on "the struggles of athletes we watch." I have never seen Marshawn, and if you have and are impacted, please accept my condolences on your loss.
The criticism is that there is a seeming conclusion that struggles, hidden issues, and challenges are an "athlete thing." They are not. The lamentations regarding Marshawn might as readily be directed at a great volume of people who have taken permanent action in the face of temporary circumstances.
The fact is that many people die by suicide. The Centers for Disease Control says, "Over 49,000 people died of suicide in 2023." That amounts to a death every 11 minutes. It is nowhere near the accidental overdose rate (the total this century is over a million, the rate of which is improving, but still outrageous), but it is very significant. Additionally, 1.5 million people tried suicide in 2024. Another "12.8 million seriously thought about suicide."
Note to file: not all or even most of these were young athletes involved in high-profile, high-paying occupations. None of them was more than the football player; none was any less.
Midway through the Yahoo Sports article, the author finally hits the real point worth discussing: "We don’t know what we can’t see." It was that sentence that spawned this blog post.
You simply do not know what someone is going through. I have written on that before. See Judge Jails Teen (August 2024) and Starfish (February 2022).
There is no explaining the why, whether it is a promising young athlete, a Ms. USA, or the person on the corner. Each has value. Each faces challenges. Each is as opaque as the next, and no one can expect or anticipate being able to see through their polished exterior to directly perceive what troubles them beneath. To try is a fool's errand.
The Yahoo author suggests we are disconnected. There is blame for our digital habits and lack of human connection. There is a perceived lack of empathy, personally and societally. There is much to lament, much to ponder, and much to be done.
In every profession, endeavor, school, and beyond, there are people who struggle. This will include the popular, the intellectual, and the abled, whether their particular talent and value have been perceived.
I say that because a great many people I know fail utterly to appreciate their own talents and values. There are too many who think that temporary challenges, however objectively insignificant or devastating, can be addressed with a permanent reaction.
We can do better. Reach out today and give someone a call. Share a joke, catch up on trivialities, and connect. They may need your call. For all you know, you may need it more than they do.
