Detroit Lions star running back David Montgomery made a heartbreaking admission about his mental health struggles that were caused by angry messages and criticism from fantasy football players.
David Montgomery has become one of football’s best running backs since entering the NFL as a rookie with the Chicago Bears in 2019. The Iowa State product exceeded 800 yards rushing in each of his first five seasons and had a career-best 13 rushing scores with the Lions last season.
Sadly, like so many other professional athletes, Montgomery has endured cruel messages and comments from angry fans on social media. And for Montgomery, the criticism became so much that it even made him suicidal.
During his appearance on the Sports Illustrated “Fantasy Dirt Podcast’ with Michael Fabiano and Lindsay Rhodes, David Montgomery revealed that an overwhelming amount of negative messages from fantasy football players made him suicidal during his rookie year:
“When I was a rookie, I had a real, real stressful time in the league. I was at a point where I would have this suicidal thought and it just a depressing and a scary year for me. And unfortunately, fantasy, the people in fantasy were kind of helping — they were helping me kind of be aided to feeling that way. I was at a point where I was scared to live.”
Montgomery revealed that it was a phone call from his nephew that saved his life. Montgomery said his nephew has leukemia, but a simple call helped him get out of that dark mental place:
“And I was in a very dark place, very very dark place. And from that point on, hearing my nephew’s voice, I made a vow to myself and a promise to myself that I would never, ever allow anybody else to have that much control over my mind, my body to make me feel like I wasn’t worth anything or valued in a light to where I had a purpose on this Earth.”
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David Montgomery added that he has been working with a therapist for five years, which has changed his life.
“I’ve been through a lot of places where people don’t even know who I am. But I get to create that perception for myself, to how I view myself and how my son views me. And, you know, I’m having the best time of my life. And I’m enjoying life for exactly what it is.”
David Montgomery Is Brave For Speaking Out
There’s an unfortunate belief in society that people must have a “perfect life” just because they’re flourishing in certain aspects (career, finances, family, health, etc.) But money and fame does not lead to a problem-free life, and people with strong platforms like Montgomery are brave for speaking out about their experiences with mental health.
It’s okay not to be okay, and it’s brave and courageous to open up and speak about problems. People like David Montgomery are shining examples of how there is always a way out, and that there are always solutions regardless of what your brain may tell you.
