NFL players from the past, and present are in need of help, whether they know it or not. Unlike other figures in the spotlight, the mental health of professional players isn’t always looked at until it’s too late.
Over the weekend, 25-year-old Jovan Belcher, linebackers for the Kansas City Chiefs, took his own life, just after killing his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins. Since the only person who knows exactly what led to the murder-suicide is Belcher, speculation behind his motive will never be fully confirmed. Reports surfaced stating that the couple argued over the care of their 3-month-old daughter, and Perkins returning late from a Trey Songz concert Friday (Nov. 30).
Belcher’s family and friends have been left confused by both deaths, and are in the midst of trying to put together whatever pieces possible to get some kind of answers.
No matter what was going through his mind at the time, Belcher is sadly not alone in being an NFL player who took his own life.
Below are 10 other players, past and present, who killed themselves.
—
Photo: AP
O.J. Murdock
Like Belcher, Murdock was also 25. The wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans was found dead in his car in a high school parking lot in late July.
Junior Seau
Seau shot himself over the summer. His body was found inside his Southern California home.
Ray Easterling
Easterling committed suicide in April. An autopsy report of the former Atlanta Falcon’s safety, confirmed that he suffered from a brain injury, after sustaining several blows to the head throughout his career.
Dave Duerson
On Feb. 17, 2011, Deurson’s lifeless body was found in his Sunny Isles Beach, Fla. home. A former player for the Chicago Bears, Phoenix Cardinals, and New York Giants, the 50-year-old died from a self-inflicted wound to the chest, and also suffered from brain damage.
Michael Current
Current was found dead in a an Oregon wildlife refuge at the top of the year. He took his life just as molestation allegations could have sent him to prison for 30 years. During his career, Current, played for the Denver Broncos, and the Miami Dolphins.
Shane Dronett
A one-time player for the Denver Broncos, the Detroit Lions, and the Atlanta Falcons, Dronett committed suicide seven years after retiring from the league. Dronett had a benign tumor removed in 2007. Two years later, he confronted his wife with a gun. When she ran for safety, he turned the weapon on himself.
Andre Waters
In 2006 Waters was found dead inside his home in Tampa, Fla. The 44-year-old played 12 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Terry Long
Long drank antifreeze to commit suicide in 2005. He played right guard for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1984 to 1991.
Kurt Crain
Crain played for the Houston Oilers, and went on to become a coach for the University of South Alabama. He shot himself in April.
