Former NFL linebacker Andra Davis, who last played with the Buffalo Bills in 2011, made a good living during his 10-year playing career. That hardly means life has been easy for him.
In an eye-opening feature from Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post, Davis spoke about his battles with depression after a shoulder injury in 2010 led to the downfall of his career. While Davis did not specifically mention concussions or any of the other head injuries we continue to learn more about, he did note that he gets frequent headaches and has contemplated suicide.
“I’ve had a pistol in my hand,” Davis said. “It wasn’t because of finances. It wasn’t because I didn’t have anyone there to love and support me. I didn’t know what was going on. I had headaches, my body hurt. I felt like nobody cared about me. I was like, ‘Man, I don’t really care if I’m here or not.'”
Davis, 36, is more fortunate than a lot of former NFL players. He has a wife and three daughters who have stuck with him through the ups and downs of his career and post-playing days. Sometimes that isn’t enough to stop disturbing thoughts from creeping in.
“When you’re playing, everybody loves you, everyone calls you, you’re the savior, the next best thing,” Davis said. “Then when you’re done it’s like, ‘Who are you?’ The party’s over. The lights in the stadium are off.”
The entire feature is worth reading, as it gives you a player’s glimpse into a life that many of us tend to envy. Depression and suicidal thoughts are all too common for football players, and we saw one former NFL quarterback nearly take his own life earlier this year. More players should be like Davis and discuss their problems openly.
