Former NFL linebacker Bruce Davis Jr. is getting very personal about his mental health. In an exclusive clip of the Facebook Watch show Peace of Mind with Taraji, Davis opened up about his suicide attempt. He said he tried to swallow a bunch of pills, but his body rejected it.
“I just remember thinking I’m lost. I don’t know who I am, I don’t want to be here,” Davis told Taraji P. Henson and her best friend Tracie Jade in the clip. “I took a handful of pills and a shot of whiskey. I was ready to go at that point. Luckily, my body rejected it. I threw up. I wake up in a pool of vomit and I had to keep going because I was alive for something. …That’s when I really knew I was sick.”
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Davis was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round back in 2008. He played in just five games during his rookie season but won a Super Bowl with the team. After bouncing around with different teams, Davis Joined the Oakland Raiders in 2010 and played in six games. He was with the team again in 2011 and played in four games before being cut by the team in 2011. Davis would then join the practice squad for a couple more teams before moving on to the CFL in 2012.
“I met the Rooneys and they are absolutely great!!!” Davis said in an interview with Behind the Steel Curtain in 2008 after being drafted by the Steelers. “They bring such a family atmosphere to the organization, and from day one, they really made me feel welcomed into the family. The one thing that my pop told me was that you are going to a great, family-oriented organization.”
Davis played college football at UCLA where he was a defensive end. In his college career, Davis was selected to the All-America First Team in 2006 and All-America Second Team in 2007. Davis posted 29 sacks and 42.5 tackles for loss for the Bruins. “It’s definitely a challenge, but I love a challenge,” Davis said in an interview with Sports Illustrated in 2008 when talking about switching from defensive end to linebacker. “I love the game. Nobody can try and take this game away from me. They’re trying to, but I’m going to let them know they can’t.” The full episode of Peace of Mind with Taraji can be seen on Monday at noon ET on Facebook Watch.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741.
