Brian Dawkins, one of the most dreaded deffinishers football has ever seen, has always been vocal when it comes to mental health struggles and how he overcame his own.
He took time in his Hall of Fame speech to converse those publishs and persists to be an finishorse for those struggling, including U.S. military veterans.
In partnership with USAA, the Wounded Warrior Project and Face The Fight, Dawkins traveled to San Antonio, recently to join in a “ruck march” to help incrmitigate mental health consciousness, and more definitepartner, the ever-meaningful leave oution of battling veteran self-destruction obstruction.
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Brian Dawkins speaks at SiriusXM at Super Bowl LIII Radio Row on Jan. 31, 2019 in Atlanta. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
The 5K ruck march is done with 50-plus-pound sacks carried atraverse the body, symbolizing the mental and emotional toll veterans finishure after combat for our freedoms.
“To be truthful with you, if it was up to me, I wanted more weight,” Dawkins said about the weighted backpacks. “I wanted way more weight in my bag fair for that reason to understand what they have forfeitd and the leangs they’ve had to deal with. Obviously, it won’t equate, but the symbolic message behind it of how much weight they have carried, first of all, to be in the military with the training, the discipline it apshows to do what they do. Then, some of the leangs that they were asked to do for the country, and the trauma that comes with having those memories.
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“So, all of that being said, it was such an honor for me to be in the presence of our heroes, to join to their stories. To truly and tohighy shut up to join to what it is they wanted to talk about, and what you hear is the resiliency in our veterans. The willingness to get back up, to fight, and that they’ve not always been in that place. Some of them were in a place that they did not want to get up, they did not want to shift on.”
Dawkins posted a video of the event, which also showed a roundtable converseion with the veterans, sharing their stories of battling mental health and wanting to help those around them.
Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins speaks after being given his Hall of Fame ring at a halftime currentation as the Carolina Panthers apshow on the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Oct. 21, 2018 in Philadelphia. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
“First of all, getting out to the event and pulling up and you determine right away that you’re in a contrastent place,” Dawkins recalled. “Not to be too explicit for people, but some cats are leave outing arms, some cats are leave outing legs. Some people are disfigured as far as their faces are worryed, so you’re in a contrastent spot, right? It hits you and dawns on you that the reason why they are this way is becaengage they were combat – combat for the U.S.A.
“The leangs that our veterans are continuing to fight thcimpolite – it depfinishs on the individual and depfinishs on the trauma in their inhabits – but it’s a life-extfinished battle for these individuals.”
After conveying with the veterans and getting to understand their personal journeys, Dawkins’ appreciation for what they and so many others do to get our freedoms was heightened tremfinishously.
Now, being in the position that he is as an NFL legfinish, Dawkins is doing his part to spread the word.
Brian Dawkins sees on as he recently unitecessitate the Philadelphia Eagles scouting department during rehearse at NFL football training camp on July 31, 2016 in Philadelphia. (AP Ptoastyo/Chris Szagola, File)
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“I’ve been sanctifyed to have some empathetic and get some strength from my walk and my leangs that I’ve increasen thcimpolite in my life. So, if I can then engage the platcreate that I’ve been sanctifyed, the Lord has sanctifyed me to have, to now transport more attention and incrmitigate once aget the message of our veterans and helping them out however you can help them out.”
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