NFL player Brandon Marshall to Speak at Masters

NEW+YORK+JETS+PLAYER+Brandon+Marshall+will+address+Masters+on+Monday%2C+9%2F25%2C+about+de-stigmatizing+mental+illness.+

Matt Dunham/ ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK JETS PLAYER Brandon Marshall will address Masters on Monday, 9/25, about de-stigmatizing mental illness.

Sarah Scheuer, Contributing Writer

Brandon Marshall, currently a wide receiver for the New York Giants, is coming to Masters on Monday to educate our community about the stigma surrounding mental illness.

Senior Jonah Feldman connected our school to Marshall through Project 375, an organization that Feldman has been involved in since October of last year. Brandon Marshall changed his life, and Feldman is confident that Marshall will have a positive impact on the Masters community.

Marshall, now 33, began his football career at the University of Central Florida. In 2006, he started playing for the Denver Broncos. He has also played for the Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears and the New York Jets, setting several NFL records. Marshall has been known to stand up for racial equality, but in 2015, he came out with something new— Project 375. Through education and funding, the project brings support to those who struggle with mental illness.

Marshall’s passion for combatting the stigma began when he was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder in 2011. Jonah explains that the disorder hinders one’s ability to “address, formulate, and deal with emotions, leading to anxiety and depression.” When Marshall was growing up, he did notice some signs of mental illness. But because it was taboo to discuss such issues, he did not receive professional help until he was older. Project 375 was born in the midst of his frustration— he could not watch so many children and teens struggle in silence. So in 2015, the project set off.

Feldman met Brandon Marshall at the New York City Paddle Battle, an event where star athletes come together to support children with psychiatric disorders. Feldman connected with Marshall’s organization on a personal level because he too struggles with mental illness. He has anxiety and Panic Disorder. People with Panic disorder face frequent panic attacks along with varying physical and cognitive symptoms. Marshall encouraged Feldman to fight the stigma and get involved. “I have mental illness and I know so many other people who have it,” Feldman said simply. “When I met Brandon Marshall, that’s when I decided to speak up.”

Soon, Feldman was featured on  an NFL commercial that aired during the Super Bowl for a new initiative called “My Cause, My Cleats.” Feldman explains that the campaign allows NFL players to design cleats that promote charitable organizations of their choosing during Week 13 of the football season.

“Previously, NFL players would be fined for wearing cleats that promoted any cause, but Brandon Marshall changed that by creating ‘My Cause, My Cleats,’” Feldman explained. “In the NFL advertisement, I helped him design cleats that promoted Project 375.”

Feldman has already made an impact to fight stigma in the larger community. Now, by bringing Marshall to campus, he is focusing on furthering mental health awareness in our own school.