Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall has been a vocal advocate for the mental health community since his 2011 announcement that he struggles with borderline personality disorder. He even received a fine in 2013 for violating the NFL's dress code while observing Mental Health Awareness Week. Then this week on The View, as he signed a $30 Million contract extension on the air he also donated $1 Million to the mental health community.
In the last three years, Marshall and his wife have become a major force in raising awareness of mental health realities and the effort to de-stigmatize those issues. Their recent appearance on the View was a high-profile call to action as well as a major PR boon to the movement.
While Marshall has been vocal about his struggles, his team has been supportive and very pleased with his on the field performance (via ESPN):
"In 2011, Marshall disclosed that he had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Marshall has a history of off-field problems, but the Bears have had no complaints.
"He had one season left on his current contract for $10 million. He will get $23 million guaranteed with his new deal, a source told ESPN.com's Michael C. Wright."
Last year, Marshall even went so far as to break the league's dress code in the name of his cause. During a time when players were supposed to be wearing pink cleats in support of Breast Cancer Awareness. Marshall wore green cleats during the week of Mental Health Awareness Week. He was fined $10,500, paid the fine and matched it in a donation to mental health-related causes (via Psych Central):
"It says a great deal that a macho football player was willing to own up to it and get treatment. Granted, his track record before the diagnosis was abysmal - domestic violence, drunk driving, and more - but obviously someone stepped in and suggested he take care of himself. Now, Marshall says he's not managing it, he's past it."
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