Seattle Seahawks legendary running back Marshawn Lynch, whose nickname is Beast Mode, lived up to that nickname–and then some–on the football field. Just take a look at some of his stats below:
*Super Bowl champion (XLVIII)
*First-team All-Pro (2012)
*Second-team All-Pro (2014)
*5× Pro Bowl (2008, 2011–2014)
*2× NFL rushing touchdowns leader (2013, 2014)
*NFL 2010s All-Decade Team
Now, after retiring from the game in 2019, Beast Mode has been on a quest to not only give back but also be transparent about his mental health journey and why it’s so important to all of us, not just athletes.
“Mentally, realistically, it’s something that is always, I mean, it’s always a battle,” admits Lynch in a 2023 interview. “And the thing is, some days is good and then some days it’s not so good. But the thing is, like, I think the way my mind is wired it’s like I don’t take Ls. I learned lessons. So, if anything is in the presence of me with I could feel like it’s never bad, it might not always be good but it’s never bad.”
“Take care y’all bodies, take care y’all chicken… take care y’all mentals…” As players enter another offseason and we are presented an opportunity to reflect on our personal growth and commitments off the field, I’d like to encourage us all to to invest in our mental health by expanding your identities beyond football. There is a direct link between mental and emotional well-being and identifying with something bigger than a single profession.
NFL players are often seen as the pinnacle of masculinity, and because caring about our own mental well-being and seeking support has not historically been associated with masculinity, too many of us do not prioritize that aspect of our health. It’s an area that if we proactively address while we’re in the NFL, including utilizing the resources available to us, we’ll be much better positioned to handle life after football.
Psychologists have warned against overly identifying with one aspect of ourselves, because if – or, in NFL players’ case, when – that label no longer applies to us, it can feel like we’ve lost our identity completely. Football players are at a high risk for losing this sense of identity after they retire, because for most of our lives, the praise and admiration we’ve received has been because of football. Our careers give us recognition, pride and a sense of purpose. But it can be dangerous if being a “famous” football player is the only source of those things.
On an episode of Finding Mastery, Marshawn opens up about what it takes to be stronger, mentally, on and off the field.
Source:
Football Legend Marshawn Lynch on Mental Health Struggles and Going Beast Mode
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