Beyond the Red Zone - How a Super Bowl Winner Became a Mental Health Champion

From the euphoria of the gridiron, to the depths of stress, isolation and depression - and back again.

For as long as he can remember, BJ Daniels ate, slept and breathed football. He became a star quarterback at the University of South Florida and went on to play professionally in the NFL, winning the Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks in 2013.

In many ways, it seemed like BJ was living every athlete's dream. However, he also saw first-hand the lows that accompany being a football player at the highest level. The mental health struggles both he and his teammates faced ? often in silence ? have inspired a new passion and purpose in him: to share his story, from setbacks to success, and encourage others to face their wellbeing head-on.

Here, with raw vulnerability, through his own lived experience, BJ explores the importance of resilience, mindset, dedication, passion and perseverance ? all of which can help you to rise above your circumstances.

This book embodies BJ's mission to "Leave No One Behind", and shows us that, beyond all our obstacles, there's a life worth living.

List of contents

Introduction
Chapter 1 – Introducing Super Bowl Champion, BJ Daniels: The truth behind the ring
Everything that being an NFL player means is what I wanted. The fame and notoriety, the exclusive parties and first-class treatment. I did go to Super Bowl 48 in New York, and that is how the conversation always starts. But soon people realize there is so much more to me and my story, and there was a price to pay for my years in the league.
Chapter 2 – My Fire Truck: A determined mind will always figure it out
A chapter on my formative years, and how, from such a young age, I was determined to make things work. Tell me “NO”, I will show you a “”YES”. This chapter is about strength in resilience, going through the hard and never avoiding problems. In fact, I always think back on this one story when I deal with mental trials in my life.
Chapter 3 – I’m Short, I’m Black, I’m a Quarterback: Rejecting stereotypes and finding my place
In this chapter we explore the love I have for sports, and the passion I wanted to emulate – a romantic fantasy with sports. However, I started dealing with my first obstacles on the field. A stereotypical quarterback? That wasn’t me. I had to face mental, physical and social challenges when it came to playing football.
Chapter 4 – The Other Side of the Tracks: Growing through sports and becoming my own man
Despite those early obstacles, I remained resilient and stuck with sports – at this time, football and basketball. I started playing with kids who looked like me, but were older and bigger, and tested my social and economic position. This chapter covers all that those experiences taught me about my strengths, weaknesses and ambitions.
Chapter 5 – Seventh Round: The pressure, expectations and reality of the NFL Draft
Fairy tale? Not even close! You may have seen the NFL Draft on TV before, but I lived it. This chapter is a detailed retelling of draft day and all the pressure I felt sitting with my family and loved ones, waiting for the call. I coped with all the fears that came with my lofty dream of playing in the NFL.
Chapter 6 – A Dream Come True… Kind of: The struggle to stay on top
I’m an NFL player. This chapter will examine the few months I had at the 49ers, and the hard lessons those weeks taught me about the reality of where I had always wanted to be. Making it is one thing, but staying there, that was going to be harder on me mentally than anything I had ever done. I had to learn how to cope healthily – and do so quickly.
>Chapter 7 – Keeping Up with the Joneses: Adapting to challenges – and succeeding
Cut from the 49ers, this chapter examines the end of my rookie season with Seattle, and how I found a home amongst others who were told “no” by other organizations across the country. We were all wanting to prove something, and we had the adaptability and resilience to do so. 
Chapter 8 – “You Played Well Today, Son”: How pressure and validation affect mental health
This chapter looks closely at the pressures of football, the validation we all want from life, and the mental health issues that so many people don’t see when it comes to professional athletes. 
Chapter 9 – Sleepless in Seattle: Dealing with frustration and uncertainty
Here, I will look at my second season with Seattle and the frustrations, being cut and trying again, this time in Texas. Here we see just how those pressures, the uncertainty and the seemingly nonstop changes can affect the man under the helmet, who in my case felt lonely, frustrated and unsupported. 
Chapter 10 – The Struggle to Survive: Fighting self-doubt to stay in the game
The endless hotels, airports and try-outs, this chapter will look at the year I went from Houston to New York to Chicago and on to Atlanta for one last shot at my NFL dream. We will examine the loneliness and self-doubt that came with this turbulent time, and see how ultimately that dream shattered, changing me as a person forever. 
Chapter 11 – A Dream Realized: This is not the end
Here, I discuss my final months trying to make a living in the game – playing in Canada and the XFL – driven by the issues that life throws at us all. But it also shows how what seems like the end can simply be a new beginning, and there’s always light at the end of what feels like a dark tunnel.
Chapter 12 – My Faith: Where I find support and comfort
Throughout the ups and downs of my NFL journey, I always had an anchor in my faith and church. This chapter covers how they helped me through the most difficult mental struggles of my career. 
Chapter 13 – Leave No One Behind: From athletic dreams to a life purpose
A final chapter on where I am today, looking at my time teaching and coaching, and what my experience in football has taught me about myself, and how I survived and made it through mentally. From a young man dreaming of glory to someone wanting to help the world, this final chapter examines what comes next – and how I aim to leave no one behind when it comes to mental health.

About the author

BJ Daniels is a former professional football player and passionate mental health advocate. His career began at the University of South Florida, where he started as quarterback all four years, before he was selected in the seventh round of the NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Shortly thereafter, he was picked up by the Seattle Seahawks, with whom he won Super Bowl XLVIII. He also played for the Houston Texans, New York Giants, Chicago Bears and Atlanta Falcons before retiring from football in 2020.

Now, BJ has returned to his roots, working at USF and residing in Tampa, Florida. He has also made it his mission to use his lived experience in football – both the positive lessons and difficult realities of life on the gridiron – to inspire international change in the way we talk about and deal with mental health.

Summary

From the euphoria of the gridiron, to the depths of stress, isolation and depression – and back again.
For as long as he can remember, BJ Daniels ate, slept and breathed football. He became a star quarterback at the University of South Florida and went on to play professionally in the NFL, winning the Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks in 2013.
In many ways, it seemed like BJ was living every athlete’s dream. However, he also saw first-hand the lows that accompany being a football player at the highest level. The mental health struggles both he and his teammates faced – often in silence – have inspired a new passion and purpose in him: to share his story, from setbacks to success, and encourage others to face their wellbeing head-on.
Here, with raw vulnerability, through his own lived experience, BJ explores the importance of resilience, mindset, dedication, passion and perseverance – all of which can help you to rise above your circumstances.
This book embodies BJ’s mission to “Leave No One Behind”, and shows us that, beyond all our obstacles, there’s a life worth living.

Product details

• Authors: BJ Daniels
• Publisher: Ingram Publishers Services
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Release: 01.10.2024, delayed
• EAN: 9781837964772
• ISBN: 978-1-83796-477-2
• No. of pages: 256
• Subjects: Guides > Sport; Social sciences, law, business > Sociology > General, dictionaries; Memoirs, HEALTH & FITNESS / Mental Health, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Memoirs