David Schary: Learning from Kenny McKinley

On Sept. 10, Kenny McKinley will be inducted into the University of South Carolina’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

McKinley was a wide receiver for the football team from 2005 to 2008, becoming the all-time leader in pass receptions with 207 and finishing second in yards receiving with 2,781. He caught the attention of the Denver Broncos who selected him in the fifth round during the 2009 NFL draft. His rookie season was cut short; McKinley played only eight games before a season-ending knee injury.

Unfortunately, McKinley never played another professional game. On Sept. 20, 2010, McKinley was found dead in his bedroom from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His suicide came as a surprise to friends and family who never suspected McKinley was unhappy or depressed.

A hint that something could be wrong came from Brittany Boyd, the wife of former Broncos running back Cory Boyd, who was McKinley’s best friend and college teammate. Referring to McKinley’s injured status, Boyd told the Associated Press he was having a hard time not being able to play football or be around his teammates every day.

Boyd’s comment was reinforced by an investigator who reported McKinley saying he should just kill himself shortly after surgery on his knee, but at the time, no one believed he was serious.

An investigation by the sheriff’s department concluded that the main factors of his suicide were depression over debt, injury and post-playing career.

McKinley’s story reminds us of the mortality of professional athletes. While many revere these elite athletes, we must remember they are human. In the case of McKinley, he appeared fine to everyone, but teammate Wesley Woodyard reminded ESPN that “NFL players have lots of pressures in their lives even though they’re living the dream.”

As the investigation alluded, worrying about life after football might have been one of the pressures that negatively affected McKinley.

It is easy to dismiss professional athletes’ worries about the future because of their salaries. However, earning a lot of money rarely solves problems, especially anything resembling depression. Money can often acerbate the problem because it enables individuals to try to buy their way out of depression through things like drugs and alcohol.

Regardless, money was probably not the root cause of McKinley’s worry of life after football. This type of worry is usually centered on identity.

Professional athletes played sports for as long as they can remember. McKinley likely played youth football before arriving at South Cobb High School where he became one of the top football prospects in Georgia. At the time of his death, McKinley had probably been a football player for more than a decade.

Many play sports for 10 years or more but do not become depressed when the inevitable end arrives. But most do not become professional athletes, where all you are known for is playing the game.

It can be distressing when the athlete’s identity is taken away because they struggle to find their purpose. This identity crisis can cause depression. While it is not limited to sports, many athletes suffer from this identity crisis when they end their careers. Those who retire (at any level – high school, college, or professional) usually sense the end is near and can plan their transition. However, those who suffer injury, especially a season- or career-ending injury, have their identity quickly and unexpectedly taken away. This sudden, forced transition can be hard for athletes who have only identified themselves as an athlete. The longer one’s identity is tied up in one area of life, the harder the transition.

McKinley’s hall of fame induction will be a time for remembrance and celebration of a great player and human being. But his story should also serve as a reminder that athletes, regardless of outward success, may suffer from depression or other mental illness caused, as least in part, by their participation in sports.

Thus remember that specializing in a sport may increase one’s skill level, but it carries the danger of creating an identity reliant on that particular sport. When that identity is taken away, especially if it is sudden and unexpected, it can cause depression. Players, coaches, and parents should be aware of this risk. It can be mitigated by delaying sport specialization and by becoming involved in multiple activities that are not dependent on one another. Because everyone is different, this is an individual decision, but it should be taken seriously.

This story was originally published July 4, 2015 at 5:03 PM with the headline "David Schary: Learning from Kenny McKinley."