Eagles player Lane Johnson candidly addresses mental health




LANE JOHNSON…shares his story with members of the community.

LANE JOHNSON…shares his story with members of the community.

Lane Johnson is a master of his craft. He has played for the Philadelphia Eagles since 2013 when he was selected fourth overall from the University of Oklahoma. Johnson, a member of the 2017 Super Bowl championship team, plays on the offensive line and has accumulated a number of accomplishments, including three Pro Bowl nominations and one All-Pro nod.

On Oct. 3, 2021, Johnson stepped off the field to attend to a “personal matter” and did not rejoin the team until October 18. Upon returning to the team he revealed a longtime personal struggle with depression and anxiety. After opening up to his teammates about these challenges, he was met with open arms and an outpouring of support from the wider community and the press.

For the first time ever, on July 24, at the Milton & Betty Katz Jewish Community Center in Margate, Johnson used his public platform to discuss men’s health issues to help diminish the stigma surrounding men seeking professional treatment.

Johnson’s struggles with anxiety started in high school. From a small town in Texas with only 30 students in his class, all eyes were on him. Johnson wanted to obtain a Division I football scholarship (the highest collegiate level in sports) and he put immense pressure on himself to succeed. His anxiety and depression only grew when he started Junior College football (often used as a stepping stone for players who do not receive scholarships to four-year institutions).

“A monster started to build. Before every game, I would vomit, shake, and have tremors. Even going through this week after week, I still did not feel comfortable expressing myself to others,” he shared. Johnson finally received his dream offer to play at the University of Oklahoma after he found success in the Junior College level. Even after this milestone, he was still constantly worried and the pre-game cycle of behaviors continued.

Finding the light at the end of the tunnel is often a challenge, but Johnson had that moment for the first time when he started playing. Over time, he said, “I wasn’t so distracted; I wasn’t under the dark cloud anymore.” This was because Johnson sought help from the university. He came to exist in a place where he could be comfortable with his conditions.

Unfortunately, his difficulties manifested themselves again during his first year of play in the NFL. Johnson was met with a high amount of media scrutiny as he was, at times, criticized for his play. However, Johnson hit his stride and—as he improved and accumulated accolades—he started feeling better.

Unfortunately, the “out of sight, out of mind trick” did not work for him, like it does not work for most. Putting a band-aid on the problem is at best only a temporary fix when struggling with mental health issues. Johnson pushed forward, but he did not get to the root of his problems and he continued to struggle.

Luckily for him, he had someone to talk to on the team. Fellow offensive lineman Brandon Brooks was also battling depression and anxiety. The two could talk candidly and were a support for one another. “It’s important that you have someone to talk to; you have to find that one person to confide in,” said Johnson.

As an athlete, Johnson battles the same issues that many others deal with—fear of failure, letting himself down and letting others down (in this case, the city of Philadelphia and all of its fans). No matter how successful you may be in your field, “you can’t achieve your way out of this (mental health struggles),” Johnson explained. This was a very real reality for him, but he also found inspiration in athletes who have struggles of their own.

The NFL and other professional sports leagues have increasingly become more aware that their players battle mental health conditions. Johnson noted during his presentation that 60% of NFL players have an anxiety condition, and the conversation surrounding anxiety and depression is trending in the right direction. When Johnson left for those two weeks back in 2021, he felt terrible— but during that time he worked on himself, and when he returned, he was embraced by the whole team.

Earlier in the event, Jess Kane Berman shared her personal story regarding her father, who died by suicide in 2003. Berman was born and raised in Linwood and when she moved back to the community at age 35 she was amazed by how ready the community was to help her and her family. “The Jewish mourning process helped me. I was able to lean into the community and ask others for help.” She added, “My biggest takeaway was to ask others how they are doing; don’t be afraid to talk; it’s never too soon to ask how someone is doing and to encourage them to talk.”

Andrea Steinberg, CEO of JFS added to Berman’s comments, noting “one in five are affected by mental health, but just one in three men acknowledge they need help.” Participating in shared experiences like this event are important because they create opportunities to learn from others, listen to others, and be there for others when they might need help.

In life, many of us are taught to block out our feelings and emotions. This philosophy was actually how Johnson was able to find success on the field. However, off the field, he now knows that he must continuously work to improve his overall wellbeing. What sustains him during games turned out to be unsustainable in his real life.

Professional athletes inevitably have a platform through which to make an impact on others. Johnson believes strongly in using that platform to help those around him. Being a leader for his fellow professional athletes in terms of opening up about mental health, as well as being a role model for children and teens battling these issues is important to Johnson. A father of three children, Johnson expressed his desire to not have his kids struggle in silence with the same issues he did.

For parents in the audience, he warned them not to force their kids to do something they don’t want to do. “Let them lead their passions,” he said. This will foster better relationships and allow your children to be more open with you (their parents) as they get older. “Use people like me, or other idols they look up, to help guide tough conversations, so they know there is help out there and they’re not alone,” he added.

The Steering Committee for this program and the men’s health programs to come include Bradley Berman, Jason Goldstein, David Kratchman, Jim Malamut, Jordan Posner, Daniel Rosenthal, and Calvin Tesler. Jewish community professionals participating include Brian Adler, Milton & Betty Katz JCC; Hanna Newcomer, Board of Jewish Education; Caelin McCallum, Jewish Family Service; and Rachel Waldman/Roberta S. Clark, Jewish Federation.

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