CHICAGO, IL – OCTOBER 19: Matt Forte #22 of the Chicago Bears celebrates his third-quarter … [+]
Matt Forté is a celebrated NFL star and former Chicago Bears running back who is well known for his exceptional skills. Forté sat down with me to discuss his own experiences with mental health and his transition out of the NFL. He candidly opened up about the pressures he faced as an elite athlete in the NFL and the impact of injuries on his overall mental health and well-being.
Although Forté’s NFL career was marked by many successes, there is often an invisible struggle that many players endure when playing in high-pressure environments. “I had a high expectation of myself that was higher than what was required by the team,” Forté explained. He explains that the expectations extended outside of his football performance, including family and contract concerns. The self-imposed pressure, along with the stressors of playing in a professional sporting league, took a toll on his mental health at times. “It was a mental struggle where sometimes I would find myself angry for no reason,” he explains. Yet, Forté often found solace in his faith, which became his anchor amidst the pressures. “Understanding and reading the gospel was therapy for me and it changed my perspective,” says Forté.
An important influence that kept him grounded was knowing his self-worth was defined from within, rather than being determined by external factors. Despite leading the NFL in rushing yards at the time, Forté experienced moments of doubt and frustration, particularly when financial disparities surfaced. “I was leading the NFL in rushing but was getting paid less than the punter,” says Forté. This caused him to question his value, as he experienced stress and mental toil at that time. What kept him grounded was his ability to understand, “I can only control what I can control – what I say to the media and how I show up on the field – being emotionally aware of certain things was my solid rock foundation,” says Forté. He points out that he grew up in the era where there were not many mental health resources available to him and when there eventually were, there was a stigma associated with using them.
In terms of what NFL teams can do better to support players’ mental health, Forté suggests, “advocate for it and provide visibility of the importance of it.” He emphasizes that it’s important for players to learn and understand the value that optimizing one’s mental health can have. “If I’m a head coach, I’m going to talk about mental performance a lot,” asserts Forté. He believes gaining mental clarity is crucial for consistent high performance and maintaining one’s overall well-being.
Although injuries are a part of any athlete’s career, Forté experienced emotional challenges alongside the physical injuries. “Every year as a running back, along with the ups and downs of football and trying to play at the elite level consistently, there’s the pressure on you to perform as well as to not get injured,” says Forté. When asked when he started to understand that he had an identity outside of the sport, he says, “It’s when I got hurt and missed multiple games – I felt like I literally didn’t exist and so seeing the team operate as the Chicago Bears away from me, helped me to detach.” This detachment helped him begin the difficult but necessary process of finding his identity outside of the sport.
Transitioning out of the NFL was challenging for Forté, as it is for many athletes. His advice to current players emphasizes the importance of seeking support and building a community of like-minded individuals around you. “The one thing I would say is it’s important to understand that separating yourself into solitude is never going to help you – you only heal in community,” explains Forté. He encourages athletes to seek wise counsel to navigate the emotional complexities of retirement.
Forté’s commitment to community extends beyond his NFL journey. In 2013 he founded What’s Your Forté, a foundation aimed at supporting young people in finding their strengths and purpose. He says his aim is “to spark their inspiration and passion for something and then try to push them in a way to grow their learning and development, allowing kids that were in the streets to not go that way”. He uses his platform to teach the importance of developing mental fortitude and to foster the development of future generations through the foundation’s various programs.
Through his lived experiences during his football career and transition out of the league, Forté encourages young athletes to prioritize their well-being, seek support, and remember that there is a meaningful purpose beyond the game.