Former Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles has opened up on his battle with depression after admitting he became suicidal after retiring from football.
Charles, who spent nine seasons in Kansas City before enjoying brief stints with the Denver Broncos and the Jacksonville Jaguars, brought the curtain down on his career in 2019 after penning a ceremonial one-day contract with the Chiefs.
Hanging up the cleats is always a daunting prospect for pro football players as they weigh up what comes next in their lives. And Charles has lifted the lid on the mental struggles he suffered after walking away at the age of 32.
‘My mind wasn’t there. I checked out,’ the now-37-year-old said on the NFL’s ‘Second Acts’ podcast. ‘My body wasn’t the same. It’s like, man, what do I do next?
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‘I just went into basically a dark side. Nobody reaching out to guide me out to transition to life after football.’
Charles then added: ‘I went to work with investment people and it didn’t go well. I started to lose money, so I started to get really depressive and suicidal.’
In the end, seeking help and attending therapy sessions helped Charles fight his way out of the darkness and come through on the other side.
‘At that time I did get therapy, so it’s nothing wrong. I did talk to a therapist to talk about suicide thoughts, talk about the hard times,’ he recalled.
‘At that time, I still was going through therapy and I still is today.’
Charles was selected by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft and went on to become a two-time First-Team All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowl selectee during his spell in Kansas City.
In the 2013 season, he held the joint-record for most rushing touchdowns (12) along with Seattle Seahawks star Marshawn Lynch.
After leaving the Chiefs, the ex-Texas college star failed to replicate the same kind of form in Denver and Jacksonville before making the decision to bow out from the sport.
For support call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline on 988 in the US or Samaritans on 116123 in the UK – or visit www.samaritans.org.