Geno Smith Gives Message About Mental Health
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and former West Virginia star and current starting QB of the Seattle Seahawks, Geno Smith, brought attention to the subject during a recent press conference and wore a "Mental Health Matters" shirt at the podium.
"I think mental health is very important to everybody, not to just athletes, but to the entire world. Obviously, there's a ton of stress that everyone's under and people cope with them in many different ways. And so, I think the more that we can just talk about it, shed light on mental health, I think it creates this safe place for people where they feel like they can be vulnerable and can express themselves so that they can get better. So I think that's what the importance of it is to me."
Last year, Smith finally got his second chance of starting in the NFL after several years of serving as a backup quarterback. He was named the AP Comeback Player of the Year and for fans around the league, became the easiest guy to root for. He hopes his story helps those see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
"That's the cool part is that people got to see my story. They got to see me go through the hard stuff. And then obviously to get some success later in my career and I know a lot of people want to hear about what was my mental state throughout that. And I think it truly comes down to knowing who you are and ultimately, having gratitude, being grateful. I've always been grateful. My grandmother always taught me that, to be grateful for what you have. I think that's what it really comes down to."
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