Press Box: The pressure of being a college athlete
Illustration by Nathan Varney.
Hayden Braun, Contributing Writer
The recent death of Louisiana State University wide receiver Kyren Lacy has sparked a difficult conversation about the immense mental challenges and physical toll on college athletes. Athletes often face performance demands, social and financial pressure and social media scrutiny. Student-athletes face a relentless path and that too often leads to great tragedy for themselves and others.
College athletes must excel on and off the field in the classroom and as public figures, often with little room for error.
Former Ohio State and Washington Commanders quarterback Dwayne Haskins’ death back in 2022 points to how young athletes are “treated as commodities rather than human beings,” according to The Hatchet.
The physical toll of football can often lead to brain injuries like Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, otherwise known as CTE, which is another layer of risk.
It’s made clear that Black athletes in particular face additional pressures in a system that often exploits their labor without adequate support, according to the Michigan Chronicle.
Many football players in college or the NFL tend to self-medicate with alcohol, drugs or reckless behavior to cope, according to Duke University.
Henry Ruggs III, a former University of Alabama and Las Vegas Raiders receiver, is now serving prison time for a fatal DUI.
It was later revealed Ruggs had suffered from undiagnosed mental health struggles, according to ABC7.
In Ruggs’ Case, even elite coaching from a legend like Nick Saban cannot always prevent personal crisis and reckless behavior.
After Ruggs’ fatal DUI case, Saban gave a powerful speech, which is one of my favorite speeches of all time.
“If there was a player in Las Vegas who was drinking at three o’clock in the morning with his buddies and his girlfriend, and someone would’ve taken his keys away. It probably would have pissed him off, probably would have made him mad, probably wouldn’t have thought very much of you for doing that. But would he be better off now, or is he better off where he was going 156 mph, running his ass into somebody and killing them?” Saban said.
Public scrutiny has never been more intense. Online criticism and the pressure to maintain a perfect image can be devastating. Lacy’s death reflects an “unspoken rule” among athletes: Suffer in silence or risk losing your spot, according to MSN.
The system must change — better mental health resources, reduced commercialization, and genuine care for athletes can’t wait. The NCAA’s Mental Health Best Practices serve as a foundation, but student-athletes continue to experience care shortages, particularly within sports generating the most revenue, because commercial interests dominate their wellness needs, according to Slate. Academic portfolios featuring sport psychology techniques exist to combat burnout and enhance athletic results, according to SportsPsychology.
Schools and athletic organizations need to establish these resources as their priorities. The actual reform requires dedicated financial support to implement these resources instead of generating policies alone. The research has established all necessary evidence; institutions need to act.
