Former NFL receiver Steve Smith joins Brian Dawkins as the latest player to open up about battles with depression and mental health

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• Retired NFL player Steve Smith recently opened up about his years-long struggle with depression. 
• Another prominent former player, Brian Dawkins, has recently revealed his own struggles with depression, even admitting that he was at one point seriously considering killing himself.
• Smith, for his part, wishes he had been more open about his struggles and wants other athletes to feel comfortable coming forward. 

Former NFL wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. wrote a piece for NFL.com on Tuesday in which he opened up about his personal battles with depression over the years. In doing so, he joins newly inducted Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins in a small but seemingly growing list of prominent former football players seeking to change the stigma around mental health in and out of football. 

"It's crucial for everyone to know that acknowledging personal struggles isn't a sign of weakness, but one of strength," Smith wrote (emphasis his). "Too often taboo, depression is shut behind closed doors — especially in a tough-guy sport like football, with a social media environment that glorifies successes and status." See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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