JANUARY 03, 2016: Brandon Marshall preparing for a game (Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images for New York Jets)

Brandon Marshall is a wide receiver for the New York Giants, and the co-founder of Project 375, a foundation dedicated to eradicating mental health stigma and improving quality of care for those in need. He spoke recently with The Players’ Tribune about how he decided to create Project 375. He prides himself on using his fame from football to further the foundation, rather than his skills on the field.

In moving towards de-stigmatizing mental health issues, Brandon is open about his story: he was prepared to ‘suck it up’ and ‘play through things,’ but he was making headlines for the wrong reason. He felt himself withdrawing and internally collapsing, slowly degrading his relationship with his wife. With the encouragement of his friends and family, he sought treatment. He was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in 2011, shortly after signing a 5-year, $50 million contract.

He shares that through treatment, he was able to learn ways to managing his feelings, learning meditation techniques, and practicing effective ways of reacting and responding to his emotions, all of which has helped him unlock his potential. He credits his wife, Michi, with being his source of unconditional love and support, and together, they founded Project 375 in 2016. They have been working tirelessly to raise money for better access to quality mental health care, and to break mental health stigma.

He shared a particular passage that he revisits often:

My pain and sadness give me my strength.
My strength ruins my mind, body and soul.
I’ve been trapped all my life.
Not by man or cages
But by my own emotions.
Where I’ve been by traveling inside myself
Can be summed up by one word —
Damn.
Pain manifests itself into peace and growth….
Only when you deal with the root of it the right way.

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