No one ever doubted Jahmir Smith’s tenacity.
Eighteen months ago, after the Notre Dame spring game in April 2019, coach Brian Kelly commented on the strength of his young ball carrier.
“Jahmir is a van, ” said Kelly about the 6 feet 205 pounds. “I’d weigh you down as fast as you failed, which is good. We know what your taste is. He’s a physical child. I had a ham cord tendon (problem) and I fought. I’m proud of him. “
Despite Smith’s resolve to move away from football this week, and because of her, Kelly once returned had an explanation as to why be proud of the sophomore from Sanford, North Carolina. After letting his resolution simmer for 48 hours, Smith released the explanation Wednesday. Through your Twitter account.
It wasn’t so much about the lack of opportunities, even though Smith only had five runs for 15 yards in the first four games. Your explanation why you came here from something much more serious.
“Talking about intellectual fitness issues is a complicated topic for many,” Smith said. “For those with intellectual fitness issues, seeking help might seem daunting, but it’s the first step toward improvement. I take that first step and after talking to my family circle and Coach Kelly, it was more productive for me to take some football time off to devote myself to improving my intellectual aptitude.
For too long, athletes in general, and football players in particular, were not allowed to reveal their humanity, just as they were expected to play through physical injuries, emotional and mental pain was eliminated.
Fortunately, in recent years this is changing. Earlier this fall, Dallas Cowboys star quarterback Dak Prescott publicly shared his struggles with anxiety and depression following the suicide of his older brother in April.
Most of the social media enthusiasts praised Prescott for going public about his struggles, although, unsurprisingly, there was at least one host on National Television who argued that Prescott is indeed weak for revealing his soul.
The Atlanta Falcons’ closed finale, Hayden Hurst, has also made public his intellectual fitness problems, adding a suicide attempt at the University of South Carolina. Hurst, who lost an uncle and cousin to suicide, recently established the Hayden Hurst Family Foundation for Intellectual Fitness and Suicide Prevention.
Meanwhile, Smith’s tweet gained more likes than with a 10/1 ratio and on Thursday Kelly added his public approval of the decision.
“The intellectual aptitude (of the players) has been a challenge in my 30 years as a coach,” Kelly said. “I don’t know if it will ever be easy to communicate, but (today) it doesn’t have a connotation of weakness. “
Not when millions of Americans face the same kind of debilitating everyday problems, other people from all walks of life, demographics, and professions. According to the latest knowledge shared through the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 17. 3 million adults in the United States had at least one primary depressive episode in 2017.
This accounted for more than 7% of america’s adult population. But it’s not the first time
Now, in Smith, a former three-star rookie who turned down players like USC and Wisconsin, those suffering to his sanity have another example of the strength of the sports world.
“Jahmir is the opposite of the weak; he’s a strong young man,” Kelly said. “I love Jahmir for his courage more than anything else. “
Why, Kelly was asked, do athletes have a tendency to show more in percentage their intellectual anxiety stories?
“It’s been a fear when you’re playing a competitive game, where there’s so much tension to live up to expectations, whether you or others,” Kelly said. “And it continues like this in a national institution. (Now) call academically, and intellectual fitness is definitely all I’ve had on my plate during my 30 years (as a coach). I just don’t think it has the same negative connotation it’s had over the years. “
This progression has been delayed a lot.
I have worked in major media as a journalist for over 3 decades with newspaper stops in Durham, Augusta, Fort Lauderdale, St. Paul and Indianapolis.
I have worked in major media as a sports journalist for over 3 decades with newspaper stops in Durham, Augusta, Fort Lauderdale, St. Paul and Indianapolis. In the meantime, I’ve covered several Final Fours, Super Bowls, World Series and Olympic Games, as well as the National Association of Professional Putters Championship, which is another of the Masters. Now founded in South Bend, Indiana, I’m still looking to make my next story the most productive yet.