Eddie George Says Broadway Saved Him From Post-NFL Depression

Running back Eddie George played nine season in the NFL, his last being with the Dallas Cowboys in 2004. 

George retired at 31, just before the start of the 2005 season. After his retirement he says that he became extremely depressed and had to undergo counseling.  “It was very difficult for me,” says George, now 42. “It wasn’t about the money. When football’s all you know, and it ends, it feels like a death … there’s a grieving period. It was hard for me to even watch a football game. I started to become bitter.“

George, who has two sons with his wife Taj of SWV, said that his depression even effected his home life, especially with his kids. “They’re used to seeing you in a different way. There’s all of this shifting within the paradigms of who you are. It’s like, ‘What do I do now?’ ” 

Eddie George’s counselor urged him to take on new experiences. He took on his first Broadway play, Hamlet, starring Jude Law. “At first, I couldn’t understand a word they were saying, but with the music and their expressions and movements, my ear finally caught up to the King’s language and it was like poetry come to life! I told my wife, ‘Oh my God! I want to do that!’ ”  

Eddie George invested in his newfound hobby by taking up theater classes and training. He finally made his own Broadway debut as Billy Flynn in Chicago. His run ends February 28. He finally feels back in the game, likening football plays to stage directions.  “It feels surreal. I’m on cloud nine,” says George. “The moral of my story is: Don’t put yourself in a box.”

Source