The sport of football and their athletes go beyond just the tackles and the great plays that are seen on the field on any given Sunday. An example of someone who takes the time to give back to the community is that of defensive tackle Solomon Thomas, who started up The Defensive Line, a foundation that puts a spotlight on Mental Health. The foundation had teamed up with the Super Football Conference to bring a series of Mental Health Awareness Series for New Jersey High School
Thomas on October 11, was at Clifton High School to talk about mental health awareness and discuss his journey.
Thomas, who believes in sharing the experiences that he has had, so that he can end the epidemic of youth suicide, especially for people of color, by transforming the way we communicate and connect about mental health.
1495 Sports had journalist Brandon Kaye on hand, who was awesome enough to get these photos from the event:
Kaye had also asked Thomas a question about his mentality on joining the Jets and the video of that Q and A session can be seen below:
The Jets are planning to hold additional sessions will be held on November 8 and December 6 at to be determined high school locations. The program will conclude at the Super Football Conference Young Man of the Year announcement hosted by the Jets at MetLife Stadium on January 3.
“I’m excited to speak at Clifton High School to emphasize the importance of mental health,” says Thomas. “I will be speaking to the students about my story and how I’ve been impacted by suicide, and how I’ve once felt alone. During this time, I want to bring attention to the hopeful side of mental health – embracing your emotions and how there are ways to seek help for anyone battling with their own mental health issues. My goal is for the students is for them to feel free to embrace and prioritize their mental health.”
Fans are encouraged to learn more about The Defensive Line by clicking on the link seen here:
Also fans are encouraged to learn more about the New York Jets by clicking on the link seen here:
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