‘Man of God’ NFL WR Explains Why He Shared His Struggle With Suicide

Published: September 11, 2024

‘Man of God’ NFL WR Explains Why He Shared His Struggle With Suicide

By Movieguide® Contributor

September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and one NFL wide receiver has decided to use his platform to discuss the topic.

“To be honest, I posted a video that was a dark time in my my life and didn’t nobody really know, but I posted it because I wanted to encourage others to seek help whenever they are down,” NFL star AJ Brown opened a recent interview.

“I didn’t really take into consideration what depression really was,” he continued. “I always just brushed it off. That’s how I grew up. I just brushed off my feelings, and it got the best of me, you know. I just wanted to put out a positive message that I’m still here. I’m still growing. I’m still learning. I’m blessed. I got a lot of things to be grateful for.”

In 2020, Brown battled depression and thoughts of suicide.

One year later, he decided to let the people know and encourage them to keep going.

“I’m kind of nervous even saying this, but a year ago from today, I thought about taking my own life,” Brown admitted. “I had no more hope of better days, and everything was just going wrong for me.”

“I just want to encourage everyone to protect your mental [health],” he added. “Talk to someone. Get things off your chest, you know. Do things that make you happy. It’s so important. I didn’t think depression was real until it happened to me. But now I know it’s really real.”

Now, four years later, Brown is on a new team — the Tennessee Titans — and has dedicated his life to Christ.

The athlete has the phrase “MAN OF GOD!” written in his Instagram bio and strives to live that way daily.

Movieguide® previously reported:

While Brown’s skills on the field bring him success, he acknowledges that he plays for an audience of one.

“I play for God,” he said. “I don’t play for expectations of man. I play this game because God has given me the ability to play this game, and doing my best is giving my due diligence back to Him.”

Brown also wants to make an impact on the community around him.

Through his foundation, The AJ Brown Foundation, he creates “a pathway for success that fosters resilience, confidence, and a brighter future for youth today.”

“It was amazing turnout yesterday,” he said after an event in April. “We had so much fun at a special place that will be forever be my home. I want to thank everyone who attended and I personally want to thank everyone who donated to The AJ Brown Foundation. I also want to thank my team who worked extremely hard to make all of this possible . I’m so excited for the future of my foundation and extremely excited to see where it goes. Thanks again and God Bless.”