Mental Health in Sports: The Case of Hayden Hurst

By. H. Janér

Mental health is one of the most serious issues in the world right now and also one of the hottest topics of discussion. Most people think that mental health issues are linked to status and other things like net worth. However, despite selfish opinions from many people, even athletes suffer from those issues.

Hayden Hurst is a 28-year-old tight end that plays currently for the Cincinnati Bengals in the National Football League (NFL). Hurst was selected in the first round of the 2018 draft by the Baltimore Ravens after a very good collegiate career at South Carolina. Hurst struggled with mental health issues before he committed to South Carolina, and to stop his downward spiral, Hurst quit baseball.

Hurst stated, “I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders because I got to leave that crap behind me,” he said. “I honestly thought I was going to leave everything behind me. I get to South Carolina and I’m still drinking, I’m still turning to drugs. Trying to numb that pain of having my childhood dream ripped away from me.”

Then, he added “One night it just caught up to me," Hurst continued, referring to his 2016 suicide attempt. “At that point, I wanted out. I’d fought for so long and I just wanted it to be over." This was before Hurst’s suicide attempt, after which he was taken to the hospital and reunited with his family. Hurst then decided to completely dedicate himself to American Football, which turned out to be the best decision of his life.

After making the NFL, Hurst founded the Hayden Hurst Family Foundation, a foundation created to raise awareness about mental health issues in younger children and teenagers.