Cowboys’ Solomon Thomas Speaks On Suicide Prevention | Image reposted by Jori Epstein @JoriEpstein/X
Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Solomon Thomas and former Super Bowl champion Kenny Gant hosted a mental health discussion at South Oak Cliff High School on Tuesday following the death of Marshawn Kneeland.
The Cowboys are coming off an emotional victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night, with Thomas telling students that they “have to have the conversation” to help prevent suicide.
Thomas, who lost his sister to suicide at just 24 years old, opened up about his experience with mental health and thereason for his foundation called The Defensive Line, which seeks to help prevent suicide among young people.
“The reason I do this is because I miss them, I love them, and want to make sure no one feels the pain they felt, no one feels the pain my family feels, Marshawn’s family feels,” he explained, per NBC 5 DFW.
“If I touch one person’s life today, and they go out and touch one person’s life, then I’ve done my job.”
Thomas further detailed how meditation and therapy have helped him deal with his mental healthstruggles, reminding the students that they are not alone in their dealings with mental health.
“I wanted to put in their brains, ‘Hey, this is something we’re all going to have to deal with at some point in life. You have to talk about it.’ Give them key points. It’s okay to not be okay. It’s okay to get help. Just to relate to them that I was once in their shoes,” he said, according to Fox 4 KDFW.
Gant also discussed his struggles with mental health, saying that he has come a long way and there were times when he did not feel mentally strong.
“I’m proud to say I am okay, I say that for the fact that I’m okay today, but there was a time I wasn’t okay,” he said, per NBC 5.
This discussion comes just weeks after Kneeland died due to an apparent suicide during the Cowboys’ bye week, leading to an emotional victory and multiple tributes for the 24-year-old, as previouslyreported byThe Dallas Express.
Both the Cowboys and the NFL as a whole held multipletributes to recognize Kneeland following his death, with Dallas wearing warm-up shirts in his honor during the matchup against the Raiders.
Anyone dealing with mental health issues is encouraged to call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Line, which is open 24 hours a day and seven days a week, to receive free and confidential assistance from a mental health professional.