Fox Sports presenter and NFL insider Jay Glazer has consistently been one of those voices at the forefront of the mental health discussion in professional sports, dedicating his efforts to helping former athletes and military service members work through life-altering issues.
Listen to your favorite music now on Audacy and check out our all-new exclusive stations
In a new partnership with the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Glazer’s own Merging Vets and Players (MVP) organization, he has been added to serve on the Hall of Fame Behavioral Health board.
“It’s truly one of the honors of my life to announce this partnership,” Glazer said in a press release. “To be able to use my own struggles and turn those hardships into an effort that helps these warriors — from former players to former service members — is unbelievable for me. And to join with the Pro Football Hall of Fame in this effort is just incredible. We change lives, and together we will make an even bigger impact.”
“There’s still a stigma that it’s not OK to not be OK,” Glazer says. “We’ve got to change that.”
"We should keep talking about it,” Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers told TheRinger.com, adding to the conversation. "Keep talking about ways that we individually deal with stress and deal with anxiety and deal with pressure and deal with depression or loneliness. I think that would really help. Because we, whether we like it or not, have a platform to influence people. And our words are often listened to more than the person who’s not in the public eye as much. So we have an opportunity — not an obligation, an opportunity — to maybe share some of our own ways of dealing with things and break some of the stigma around mental health."
Rodgers also had some encouraging words for Olympic gymnast Simone Biles who brought the conversation into the homes of millions during this year's Games. "I give Simone so much credit for her ability to speak the truth, her truth, and to answer tough questions, and to have the courage to say, ‘I’m scared’ and ‘I don’t feel like I should be out there,’” Rodgers said.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame's Hall of Fame Behavioral Health is on hand to assist players in a wide variety of ways, from post-career transition to identity, addiction, anxiety, depression, PTSD issues, and more -- with a focus now to make sure former players are aware of the assistance being offered.
Audacy's I’m Listening initiative aims to encourage those who are dealing with mental health issues to understand they are not alone. If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression or anxiety, know that someone is always there. Additionally, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-273-8255.