3 Wisconsin athletes who’ve bravely talked about mental health

Montee Ball, Wisconsin Football

By Christina Lorey

October 1, 2024

It’s estimated that more than one in five Americans lives with a mental illness. So why is talking about it still so taboo, especially in the sports world?

These Wisconsin athletes are changing that, and undoubtedly saving lives along the way:

🏈 Montee Ball

The 2011 Heisman Trophy finalist and former Badgers running back has been open about his struggles with depression, anxiety, and alcohol, which ended his promising NFL career after two seasons with the Denver Broncos. “I really didn’t know how to speak on it,” Ball said of his mental health problems in college. “I really didn’t know who to talk to. I didn’t even know that I was suffering from it, you know what I mean?”

Ball is now a mental health mentor with Wisconsin Voices for Recovery and, in 2021, released a book about his personal journey.

MORE: ‘Nowhere to Run’ Details Montee Ball’s Highs on the Field, and Lows Off It

⚽️ Emma Jaskaniec

The 2022 Big Ten Midfielder of the year (just the second Badger to ever earn that title) started regularly seeing a psychologist her freshman soccer season. “I was having really dark thoughts,” she shared. “For things to get better, you actually have to seek out help.”

After getting that help for herself, Jaskaniec became involved with UNCUT Madison, a Wisconsin athlete-led nonprofit that leads discussions about mental health.

🏃🏽 Kris Eiring

The former Wisconsin sprinter who now works as a sports psychologist has spoken out about the surface-level conversations that often happen between teammates in the locker room.

“When you say, ‘How are you doing?,’ they say, ‘Great,’ and you don’t really know,” Eiring told Spectrum News. “Maybe pause for a moment and check in a tad deeper. ‘Are you really doing OK?’ That would make a big difference.”

MORE: Why You Should Stop Using the Phrase “Committed Suicide”

Author

Christina Lorey

Christina Lorey is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist and former UpNorthNews newsletter editor. She previously worked as a producer, reporter, and TV anchor for stations in Madison and Moline. When she’s not writing or asking questions, Christina volunteers with Girls on the Run, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, and several mental health organizations.

View all posts

CATEGORIES:

Support Our Cause

Thank you for taking the time to read our work. Before you go, we hope you'll consider supporting our values-driven journalism, which has always strived to make clear what's really at stake for Wisconsinites and our future.

Since day one, our goal here at UpNorthNews has always been to empower people across the state with fact-based news and information. We believe that when people are armed with knowledge about what's happening in their local, state, and federal governments—including who is working on their behalf and who is actively trying to block efforts aimed at improving the daily lives of Wisconsin families—they will be inspired to become civically engaged.