Drew Bledsoe shared a powerful message late Wednesday night in response to the suicide of Washington State quarterback Tyler Hilinski.
Bledsoe, who played at Washington State, posted a photo of Hilinski with the following caption:
PLEASE READ!! I didn’t know Tyler well but he was a great friend and mentor to my son. That’s all a dad can ask for. As men we have to learn to TALK about how we are feeling. Suicide is the #2 killer of men between 18-45!! Reaching out for help when we need it is NOT a sign of weakness. Trusting your friends and asking for help is the ultimate sign of STRENGTH!! If we sprain an ankle we go see a doctor. If we’re struggling emotionally we have to learn to treat it the same way. It’s our obligation to the people we love and the people who love us.
This entire situation is simply tragic, and it has shaken the world of college football to the core. Hilinski appeared to have the entire WSU program at his fingertips, there were no warning signs that anybody saw and now he’s not with us anymore. It’s hard to comprehend how something like this is even possible.
I hope this situation serves as a wake-up call for the rest of the sports world to recognize that things aren’t always what they appear to be. We don’t need more tragedies like this one. We should be reading about highlights and wins in the headlines. People should never have to see headlines about a rising quarterback killing himself.