Hayden Hurst made the transition from the Baltimore Ravens to the Atlanta Falcons over the offseason. Whenever a player switches teams, itโs obviously a pretty monumental moment in their life. Saying that, starting over on a new team is nothing compared to the restart he was given earlier in life.
In a series shared by the Falcons, Hurst opens up about his struggles with mental health, substance abuse, and even his attempted suicide. He talks about the importance of his family, the factors that led up to his depression, and how a second chance at life has opened his eyes to the world.
Hurst leaves it all on the table, and will be sporting End the Stigma cleats as part of the My Cause, My Cleats campaign put on by the NFL.
Hurst went viral earlier in the year when he approached Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott after their game and commended him for opening up in his own way. As a result of the micโd up moment, donations started to flood in to Hurstโs suicide prevention foundation in the amount of $8.14. The number was to represent the two player numbers, 81 and 4.
Following the video, Hurst was met with wide appreciation for opening up. He shared out a hopeful message, and received all kinds of praise from others in the sports world.
Itโs okay to not be okay. The stigma around mental health being weakness has to go.
(H/T Atlanta Falcons)
