Terry Bradshaw hopes sharing his experience with depression will help men feel less alone.
The four-time Super Bowl champion and FOX Sports analyst said his memoir, “Looking for Terry,” was difficult to pitch because it focused on something other than football. He chose to write about his long-running struggles with depression, which he said he had not discussed publicly very often.
Bradshaw is known for his upbeat personality and has spent decades as a player and broadcaster. That can make his openness about mental health surprising, he said. He isn’t currently experiencing depression, but it can return from time to time and leave him with a deeply unsettling feeling that’s hard to shake.
He hopes the book encourages readers, particularly men, to talk more openly about emotional struggles. In his view, women may be more inclined to seek help, while men sometimes try to cope with alcohol or drugs instead.
One of Bradshaw’s most difficult episodes came during the 1999 Super Bowl in Miami, where he was working as a broadcaster. He recalled being unable to get out of bed. Stress, family problems and exhaustion can all contribute to his depression, which he described as something that can appear like a “demon in the night.”
These days, his wife, Tammy, is someone he can talk to. She calls his depression “Roy,” and will ask whether Roy is showing up again. Bradshaw said being able to share what he’s feeling with someone has been an enormous comfort.
Bradshaw said readers will meet an ordinary person who has had an extraordinary career, rather than simply seeing a collection of career highlights. He added that he doesn’t want anyone to feel sorry for him.
