By Kaleb Poor
Former NFL quarterback Eric Hipple will give two speeches on breaking the stigma surrounding mental illness this Sun. and Mon. on the University of Wyoming campus.
Hipple’s visit was organized as a joint venture between UW Athletics and the Wellness Center. Amanda Matthews, UW Campus Suicide Prevention Coordinator, said that student athletes had requested a guest speaker with a focus on mental health last year.
“They’re very excited because they feel like they’ve been listened to,” Matthews said. “It’s nice, especially for athletes, to feel like they have someone they can connect with and someone who knows the stress of playing college sports and then professional sports.”
Since his son Jeff’s death by suicide in 2000, Hipple has been active in his efforts to break the stigma surrounding mental illness. He is known for his efforts to raise awareness and support for depression in youth, and in 2007 he co-wrote a study on depression in retired football players.
“We want to make this a topic that all students come to,” said Matthews, who noted that suicide is the seventh leading cause of death in Wyoming and the primary cause of death among traditional college-age students. Wyoming perpetually ranks in the top three states nationwide with the highest rates of death by suicide. Hipple’s visit follows a new report by the CDC that suicide rates increased by 56 percent between 2007 and 2017 among Americans age 10-24.
Anyone interested is being encouraged by UW personnel to attend Hipple’s events to learn more about suicide prevention and the realities of mental health. Counselors will also be present to answer questions in an informal setting.
“I’m glad we’re covering it,” Matthews said. “Hopefully we get the word out and a lot of people come.”
Hipple, who played a total of 10 seasons under center for the Detroit Lions during the 1980s, will speak Sun. at 7 p.m. in the UniWyo Sports Complex and Mon. at 11 a.m. in the Wyoming Union Ballroom. Both addresses are free to UW students, faculty and staff, and food will be provided at the Sun. speech. Hipple will also be participating in Homecoming festivities and events over the weekend.
Any UW student struggling with mental health issues or thoughts of suicide are encouraged to reach out the University Counseling Center, located in Knight Hall Room 341, which offers counseling and crisis intervention services at no charge. The UCC also offers an after-hours crisis phone line at (307) 766-8989.
