How Dwayne Johnson Helps Fox NFL Reporter Jay Glazer Deal with Depression: 'He Can Lift Me Up'

Courtesy of Jay Glazer Jay Glazer and Dwayne Johnson

Jay Glazer is a lively, fast-talking staple of Fox's NFL broadcasts.

And when not on camera, Glazer, 52, is always on the move. He's a mixed martial arts instructor who has trained celebrities including Sylvester Stallone in his Los Angeles gym. He also helps military veterans struggling with mental health issues through the foundation he co-founded, MVP (Merging Vets and Players), matching the vets with athletes.

But behind his upbeat and very energetic public persona, Glazer has struggled with depression and anxiety for decades, which he refers to as "the gray."

"People look at me now and go, 'How can you be depressed? You got money and fame and fortune,' " Glazer tells PEOPLE. "Well, my wallet is not an antidepressant. It doesn't work like that. My life might be great but between my ears, it's not."

It's a mental health struggle he kept under wraps for years and is now detailing for the first time in his new book, Unbreakable: How I Turned My Depression and Anxiety Into Motivation, and You Can Too. Glazer hopes to help others who are suffering through his candid words.

"I'm trying to show people there's no shame," he says. "There are so many more people out there that are like you than are unlike you."

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Courtesy of Jay Glazer Jay Glazer and Dwayne Johnson

Glazer calls his daily efforts to overcome depression and anxiety "the fight against the gray." And he's found purpose in sharing his struggles. "That's my motivation" he says.

He's found tremendous support through his very good friend of Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson, with the pair initially bonding while shooting HBO's Ballers. Johnson has now written the forward to Unbreakable.

"We all have our scars and we all have our experiences in the gray and in Jay, we all have someone to lean on when the mental going gets tough," writes Johnson in the book.

In turn, Johnson's cherished friendship helps Glazer. "When I get messages from him, it just lifts my day up," says Glazer. "He and I are just so real, we have this authentic locker room. Every time I see a little voice message come or something, it peps me up, because I know it's going to be funny."

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"But I also know it's going to be heartfelt and I know it's going to be just real," he continues. "I guess, it's going to be something too where I know if he can lift me up, then I can lift others up."

Johnson recently hosted an hour-long Instagram live for Glazer to share his support.

"He's the biggest star in the world and he's like, 'I want to do this with you because you can help a lot of people,' " says Glazer. "He said, 'Fighting the gray needs a voice and you're going to be that voice to fight the gray.' "

Laughter and sharing their vulnerabilities also help Glazer in the fight.

"The two of us also, we're proud of our scars. We both have scars. That's what we talk about," says Glazer. "We mess with each other quite a bit, so that laughter part definitely comes in."

"The whole world obviously loves him, but they'd love him even more if you could understand he's so authentic," he continues. "He wants to help the world, also. It's damn pretty cool."

If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.