Former sports reporter looks to end stigma of mental health one podcast at a time

This article discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline available 24/7. To reach the 24/7 Crisis Text Helpline, text 4HOPE to 741741.

CINCINNATI (WCMH) — While the topic of mental health has come a long way in recent years, it’s still a tough conversation to have in the sports world. Brandon Saho is looking to change that with his podcast, but first he had to confront some demons of his own.

Saho was doing everything he ever wanted two years ago, covering sports for WLWT, the NBC affiliate in his hometown of Cincinnati.

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“I was always just this big sports nerd and loved it,” Saho said. “I’ve known since 12 years old that I wanted to be a sports reporter so it was truly a dream come true for me.”

But behind that smile on camera, Saho lived a dark life for years and felt alone. He first had suicidal thoughts at the age of 14 as a freshman in high school. Fast forward 15 years later, Saho was dealing with the end of a relationship and struggles at work.

“I hit rock bottom during what was supposed to be, from the outside, the best moment of my life. I am covering the Bengals as they’re going to the Super Bowl. My childhood team,” Saho said. “I was suicidal every day for three months. And people didn’t know that I lost three family members in three months.”

That was when Saho decided to reach out for help. “I called my therapist and asked to check into a hospital here in Cincinnati because I didn’t know how to live anymore,” Saho said.

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With the help of therapy, Saho got better. As the dark thoughts subsided, he eventually quit his job and put his energy into a new venture. “What if we combined my passion for journalism and mental health together? And that’s where the idea of ‘The Mental Game’ was born,” Saho said.

“The Mental Game” is a podcast where Saho sits down with athletes and celebrities to discuss mental health. His first guest was a longtime friend — current Bengals defensive end and former Buckeye Sam Hubbard.

“We did the interview. He said, ‘Yeah dude I think it could work. I think you could help people by doing this.’ So this wouldn’t be a thing without Sam kinda being my test dummy if you will,” Saho said.

Watch the full interview with Brandon Saho in the video player below.

Since the podcast started, Saho has sat down with big names in the last two years, including actor Terry Crews and more recently, another former Buckeye – ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit.

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“[Herbstreit’s] sophomore year at Ohio State, he started going to therapy and did that for the next three years when the Buckeyes brought in a team psychiatrist,” Saho said. “He told me he would look over his shoulder and made sure no one saw him go into that office.”

After recovering from his own mental health struggles, Saho has found his way back behind the microphone on a new platform. He’s about to move to Los Angeles with the hopes of getting better access to more sports stars and big names in Hollywood, hoping his conversations help others.

“It feels like my true purpose and exactly what I’m supposed to be doing,” Saho said. “I hope people are less afraid to open up because there’s more people talking about it than ever before.”

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