NFL Legend Brian Dawkins Recalls 5K March with US Veterans to Prevent Suicide: ‘An Honor for Me’

Brian Dawkinsone of the most feared defenders football has ever seen, he has always been vocal about his mental health issues and how he overcame his own.

He took time to discuss these issues in his Hall of Fame speech and continues to be an advocate for those struggling, including the U.S. military veterans.

In partnership with USAA, Wounded Warrior Project and Face The Fight, Dawkins recently traveled to San Antonio to participate in a “ruck march” aimed at raising awareness of mental health and, more specifically, the ever-important mission of fighting veteran suicide prevention .

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The 5K march is carried out with over 50-pound bags carried across the body, symbolizing the mental and emotional toll veterans must endure after fighting for our freedoms.

“Honestly, if it was up to me, I wanted more weight,” Dawkins said of weighted backpacks. “I wanted to have a lot more weight in the bag for that very reason, to know what they sacrificed and what they had to face. Of course, this will not be equivalent to the symbolic message behind it, how heavy a burden they carried, primarily serving in the army with the training and discipline necessary to do what they do. Then about some of the things they were asked to do for the country and the trauma of having those memories.

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“Having said all this, it was a great honor to be in the presence of our heroes and hear their stories. To really and completely shut up and listen to what they wanted to talk about and what you hear is the resilience of our veterans. The desire to get up and fight and that it wasn’t always the right thing to do. Some of them were in such a place that they didn’t want to get up, they didn’t want to go any further.”

Dawkins posted a video of the event, which also showed a roundtable discussion with veterans sharing their stories about struggling with mental health and wanting to help those around them.

“First of all, when you get to the event, you stop and immediately feel like you’re in a different place,” Dawkins recalls. “I don’t want this to be too drastic for people, but some cats are missing arms, some are missing legs. Some people have distorted faces, so you’re in a different place, right? It hits you and you realize that the reason they are like this is because they fought – they fought for the USA

“What our veterans continue to struggle with depends on the individual and the trauma in their life, but for these individuals it is a lifelong struggle.”

After talking to veterans and learning about their personal journeys, Dawkins’ appreciation for what they and many others do to protect our freedoms has grown tremendously.

Now, being in the situation he is in NFL legendDawkins is doing everything he can to spread the word.

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“I’ve been blessed to gain some understanding and gain some strength from my walk and the things I’ve been through in my life. So if I can use the platform that I have been blessed with, and the Lord has blessed me with, to now bring more attention to myself and once again amplify the message of our veterans and help them however you can.”

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