Pro football Hall of Famers talk with Lansing students about mental health
LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - Former NFL stars who led their teams are used to giving motivational speeches. Now, that enthusiasm is being used to talk to kids about the importance of mental health.
Hall of Famers Isaac Bruce, Darren Green and Steve Hutchinson visited with students of Eastern High School in Lansing on Tuesday.
Hutchinson, a former first-round pick from the University of Michigan, said he hopes talking to students can help change the stigma around mental illness.
“It was looked at on a football team as a weakness. You wanted to hide your weaknesses from, A: your opponents, and B: your teammates,” said Hutchinson. “Looking back on it, that was probably not the right way to go about it.”
The principal of Eastern High School, Marcelle Carruthers, said days like this are so important and can even take priority over schooling.
“Just knowing that there are people out there that support you and you are not alone with this. The mental health component sometimes trumps academics because without the mental health, the academics will suffer,” said Carruthers.
Some of the students walked away with signed footballs and smiles on their faces, but the hope is that some walked away with much more.
Subscribe to our News 10 newsletter and YouTube page to receive the latest local news and weather.
Copyright 2023 WILX. All rights reserved.
