Former All-Pro NFL running back Jamal Lewis said he has considered suicide as he struggles with medical issues and depression, in an interview with Bleacher Report published on Tuesday.
“You think about death,” Lewis said. “I’ve thought about suicide. I’ve thought about ending it all.”
Now 38 and retired for more than eight years, the former Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns back added that he regularly struggles to breathe through his nose — he has had polyps clogging his nasal passages for six months — and battles sleep apnea, headaches, depression and a fluctuating temper.
He discussed many of his own concerns in the context of three former teammates, Ravens offensive linemen Orlando Bobo, Orlando Brown and Damion Cook, who died of health-related issues.
“You just have those thoughts about should you end it?” he said. “I can only imagine with sleep apnea and heart attacks and heart disease — who wants to go out like that? Especially when you have people upset with you — your wife upset with you, pissed off, you have to file bankruptcy, made bad decisions.”
Lewis said he has never gotten as far as planning his death, but he is not completely rid of suicidal thoughts, saying: “It’s not over. I have to keep moving.”
Taken fifth overall in the 2000 draft by the Ravens, Lewis topped 1,000 rushing yards in seven of the nine seasons in which he played, including five of six in Baltimore. In 2003, he posted what stands as the third-largest single-season rushing total in NFL history (2,066 yards) and scored 14 touchdowns en route to the only Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections of his career.
He joined the Browns in 2007 and played three seasons, before retiring at age 30.
Lewis estimates he suffered at least 10 concussions and was knocked unconscious two or three times during his career, adding that he frequently used Novacain to numb painful injuries and drank alcohol when the medication wore off after games.
He said he has asked the NFL three times for disability pay, but has been turned down.
Lewis has also dealt with financial issues since retiring, filing for bankruptcy in 2012 while owing millions in debt. He sold a Super Bowl XLVII ring — which he received from owner Steve Bisciotti in honorary fashion in 2013 for being one of the team’s all-time greats — for more than US$50,000 in an auction in 2015.
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was
RALLY: It was only the second time the Taiwanese has partnered with Kudermetova, and the match seemed tight until they won seven points in a row to take the last set 10-2 Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix women’s doubles final in Stuttgart, Germany. The pair defeated Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Estonia’s Ingrid Neel 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 in a tightly contested match at the WTA 500 tournament. Chan and Kudermetova fell 4-6 in the first set after having their serve broken three times, although they played increasingly well. They fought back in the second set and managed to break their opponents’ serve in the eighth game to triumph 6-3. In the tiebreaker, Chan and Kudermetova took a 3-0 lead before their opponents clawed back two points, but