Rest in Peace, John Brenkus

Robin Williams once said, 'I think the saddest people often try the hardest to make people happy because they know what it's like to feel absolutely worthless and they don't want anyone else to feel like that."

John Brenkus took his life this weekend. Most people knew his as the ESPN Science Guy. I had the privilege of getting to know him on a professional level in his second life, with the NIL House and Brinx TV. His focus was on entertainment and supporting the athletes. On the surface, he absolutely loved what he did and wasn't afraid to tell you that. I didn't know him well enough to know the demons that haunted him.

When we see someone like this who seemingly has the world at his fingertips- sold his previous company, launched a new one, doing what he loved most- we need to pause and recognize we have zero understanding of what's going on beneath the surface. At a minimum, we should strive for kindness when we interact with people who seem to be burning the brightest- whether television stars, founders at start-ups working round the clock, or college athletes trying to maintain their sense of self amid all the drama and angst college athletics and NIL cause.

John was a 53-year-old, successful man. What do we expect of 19- and 20-year-olds who have been thrust into the spotlight, forced to build a business around their name, image, and likeness, travel cross country and back with little sleep, and somewhere in between, be college students? Why do we feel that these young KIDS can somehow handle the pressures of social media and all the other sources of stress that hammer at them from all angles and simply take it in stride without it truly affecting them on some level. Or what about the athletes who have to face the realization that the sport they loved and have dedicated the majority of their life to was now over, and the "real world" was about to begin? That the transition should be "seamless" and they should be prepared because of their "years of conditioning and competing at the highest levels."

We can debate all day about the merits of whatever decision comes down from the House vs. NCAA case. If there is not a renewed emphasis on the mental health well-being of the athletes- starting with the destigmatization of seeking counseling, followed by easily accessible solutions for the athletes (and whenever possible, by fellow athletes) then we have failed. Mental health well-being is not a "check the box" byproduct of NIL when it comes to providing meaningful solutions.

No amount of money or success can bring a person back. Taking the right and necessary proactive steps can ensure that fewer tragedies need to occur. Young athletes are vulnerable; we ALL fail when one of them succumbs to the demons we can't see.

#mentalhealthwellbeing #collegeathletes #NIL #linkedinsports #NCAA #education #NILforsocialgood