Deion Sanders discusses his suicidal thoughts during chat with Antonio Brown
Deion Sanders is one of the most famous and successful athletes ever, widely considered the greatest cornerback in NFL history who also had a longer Major League Baseball career than you remember.
That doesn’t mean Sanders was immune to some of the same lows that affect many of us.
Sanders was sitting down with Antonio Brown, who has been exiled from the NFL after some serious off-field accusations, and he opened up to Brown about some tough times in his life. Those included suicidal thoughts, Sanders said.
Deion Sanders talks about suicidal thoughts
Sanders and Brown were sitting down for Bleacher Report and Sanders shared his personal plight.
.@DeionSanders told @AB84 that he got lost in “Prime Time” during his career, hit rock bottom and became suicidal.
Sanders is glad AB never got to that point and commends him for getting help.
He is trying to help Brown back into the NFL @brgridiron pic.twitter.com/fLtmIqRS0b— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 15, 2020
Sanders talked about becoming “intoxicated” with his “Prime Time” persona and how it suffocated him.
“I was suicidal, dog. I almost did that thing,” Sanders said on the Bleacher Report video. “I tried to do that thing, because I couldn’t handle that. I got to an emotional low, a devastation of personal things going on, and I couldn’t handle it. I’m glad and thankful you ain’t never tried to check out.”
Sanders has talked about his suicide attempt, driving his car off a cliff in 1997 as his marriage was ending. He recounted it in his autobiography Power, Money & Sex: How Success Almost Ruined My Life, via The Undefeated.
It was still jarring to see him tell Brown about it. In the video, you can see Brown’s eyebrows raise as he listens.
Sanders pushing for Antonio Brown’s return
Brown’s off-field behavior became a massive story in 2019. There were odd stories like his tantrums over being able to wear his preferred helmet, and serious ones like accusations of sexual assault. Last week Brown was sentenced to two years probation after changing his plea to no contest in a case in which he was accused of assaulting a moving truck driver.
Sanders shared in the Bleacher Report video that Brown has been “going to people” and talking about his childhood.
“I wish to God I’d have did that,” Sanders said.
“It definitely helped,” Brown said.
Sanders, whose son has been working out with Tom Brady and Brown, has been pushing for Brown’s return to the NFL. You have to get past a lot of troubling stories to push for Brown to re-enter the NFL, but Sanders will keep trying.
Along the way, Sanders is obviously comfortable sharing some of his own personal experiences.
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