NFL player advocates for depression awareness after sister's tragic suicide

By Ross Kelly June 1, 2018 at 10:37am

Solomon Thomas had a solid rookie year with the 49ers, as the third overall pick in the 2017 draft started 12 games and finished tied for second on the team in sacks.

But his world was rocked just weeks after the season ended. On Jan. 23, his sister Ella committed suicide after battling depression for years.

Unfortunately, Thomas wasn’t able to save his sister, but he is doing his best to help others who struggle with mental illness.

Thomas is trying to raise awareness for depression and other mental disorders by participating in the Out of the Darkness Overnight Walk in Dallas on Sunday. This walk benefits the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and Thomas has already raised over $27,000 for the cause, per The Associated Press.

“It’s big to let people know it’s OK to be sad, it’s OK not to be perfect because you never are,” Thomas said. “There are so many things that happen in life, good, bad, stuff that you don’t know about, and it’s going to affect how you feel. That’s huge. It’s about changing the culture of how you’re supposed to feel or act.”

Thomas, who learned of his sister’s death via a phone call from his father, received plenty of emotional support from the 49ers organization. Team owner Jed York, general manager John Lynch and various teammates came to Texas for Ella’s funeral to support Solomon and his family.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjYgAB6g_b_/?hl=en&taken-by=sollythomas90

Just getting people to open up and discuss mental health is a battle in and of itself, and Thomas is using this walk as a way to open those lines of communication.

“Mental health and suicide aren’t things people want to talk about,” Thomas said. “Mental health, depression, it’s a disease just like anything else. And when you talk about other diseases, people talk about them like, ‘We’ll get you through this,’ whatever.”

“But, then, when you talk about depression or mental health or suicide, people kind of scare away because it’s such a serious topic. You don’t know how to handle it. You don’t want to say the wrong thing to push someone over the edge. But it’s such an important topic, such a serious topic, that people need to start talking about it.”

The walk will occur just weeks after the NFL hosted a symposium on mental health on May 14. The NFL and the NFL Players Association partnered with Cigna “to increase awareness and decrease the stigma around mental health,” according to Dwight Hollier, the NFL’s vice president of wellness and clinical services.

The symposium featured current and former NFL players in addition to health organizations and medical providers. The goal was to promote a culture where people feel comfortable speaking out about their issues, and the symposium encouraged those struggling to seek help.

Wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who has been open about his battle with mental illness, was one of the panelists for the event.

Years ago, Marshall revealed that he had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, and he has started a foundation to help those with mental illness.

In 2013, he wore green cleats during a game to promote Mental Health Awareness week and was subsequently fined over $10,000 for a uniform violation.

Marshall then followed through on a promise to match the fine with an equal donation to a mental illness charity and shared the news on Twitter.

Football is my platform not my purpose. This fine is nothing compared to the conversation started & awareness raised. pic.twitter.com/P9GNygFpH9

— BEAST (@BMarshall) October 16, 2013