BYU football: Tanner Mangum shows courage in social media post on depression

BYU football quarterback Tanner Mangum took to Instagram to talk about a taboo subject – men’s mental health – and opened up on his own conditions.

In the grand scheme of things, one of the most important things BYU football star Tanner Mangum will do in 2017 won’t happen on the football field.

Instead, it happened on social media. Instagram of all places.

The Cougar signal caller took to his Instagram to open up about anxiety and depression – two things he suffers from – to raise awareness about men’s mental health week.

You can check out his post below.

https://twitter.com/tannermangum/status/849042571867205632

Pretty cool stuff from Mangum. Firstly, it’s tough enough to post anything on social media, let alone something so personal. We so often see a guarded and reserved version of athletes, so it’s refreshing to see a player open up on such a taboo topic.

Shortly after Mangum posted, BYU football’s resident viral sensation (and punter) Jonny Linehan went to Twitter, inviting anyone struggling to seek him out.

Again, it was powerful stuff.

Like so many other things, mental health is surrounded with stigmas and negative preconceived notions. If you – or anyone you know – is struggling, take Linehan’s advice.

“There are people who love you and care about you. You are never alone.”

Or, as Mangum posted:

“You are not alone. There is help. Let’s focus on accepting and loving one another for who we are and celebrate our humanity. It’s a beautiful thing. Let’s erase the stigma surrounding mental health.”

Awesome stuff from two of BYU football’s finest.

For now, the Cougars continue offseason workouts. Media Day is in late June.