Hall of Fame safety Brian Dawkins credits his wife for saving his life after coming "very" close to killing himself early in his career.
Brian Dawkins, who has discussed contemplating suicide in the past, turned to alcohol and had a difficult time controlling his emotions early in his career with the Philadelphia Eagles. In a recent interview with the Philadelphia Daily News, his wife, Connie, recalled a time when anger got the better of her husband and he ran head-first into a door.
She called then-Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Emmitt Thomas that day to talk with her husband because he was suffering from depression and migraines as a result of the pressure he was feeling.
"Going to a new city. Wanting to be the best. The expectations the team had for him. The pressures of a new family -- little Brian had just been born back then. I was sick with an infection," Connie Dawkins told the newspaper.
"The pressures of suddenly having all of this money. The outside intervention with other family members. There just was a lot on him."
Connie Dawkins and Thomas urged Brian Dawkins to get professional help.
"It wasn't an easy thing to do," Brian Dawkins told the newspaper. "That's the macho world we live in as men. Especially in the black community. Men don't tell people they have problems. You suck it up, and you deal with it.
"But it was just something that, at that time, I couldn't handle on my own. If Connie and Emmitt hadn't helped convince me to go talk to somebody, then let my faith kick into overdrive, who knows what would have happened."
Brian Dawkins told the Daily News that he remembers "thinking of different ways to [kill myself.]" and "thought about ways to do it where [my wife] Connie and the kids could still get the money" through life insurance policies.
Brian Dawkins went on to become one of the most celebrated players in Eagles history, connecting with the Philadelphia fans through his fearless style of play. He was named to nine Pro Bowls over his career -- seven with the Eagles and two in his later years with the Denver Broncos. He racked up 895 tackles, 37 interceptions and 26 sacks over 13 seasons.
He will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday.