Infertility crisis launched Browns’ Chris Hubbard into mental health advocacy

BEREA -- Browns right tackle Chris Hubbard remembers when he realized he needed therapy.

He and his wife Tamara were dealing with infertility before the birth of their son Creed. Hubbard said he was losing weight and it was hard to balance the crisis in his personal life with his professional career.

"We battled through a lot," Hubbard said. "Things happen when you're trying to have a baby, you have emotions going left and right. It's a lot to deal with. I had to get some help."

Hubbard, 28 and in his sixth NFL season, became a mental health advocate as he and Tamara now actively support the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

In the aftermath of the indefinite suspension of teammate Myles Garrett, three Browns who have sought treatment said they have reaped its benefits and believe having a full-time professional with each NFL team would be a step forward for the league. That was the suggestion of Sam Maniar, founder of the Center for Peak Performance in Hudson, who was the NFL's first full-time team psychologist when he worked for the Browns for two seasons starting in 2014.

"It made me a stronger person and it made me come out of my shell to help others, to let them know they're not alone and I'm just like them. I'm not superhuman," Hubbard said Wednesday. "This game requires a lot, physically, mentally and emotionally."

This season the NFL mandated that teams have a clinician available in the facility for eight to 12 hours a week, and Hubbard said he's taken advantage of that.

"Her line is always open," Hubbard said. "I've used her. You just can't be scared to go out there and ask for help. We just need more people to come out and say something if they're going through anything. That's what will get more people involved and we'll get more [professionals] on the team."

Defensive end Chris Smith said he sees the team clinician every Monday to deal with the September death of his 26-year-old girlfriend Petara Cordero. Giving birth to their daughter a month before, Cordero was struck by a car on Interstate 90 after a tire on Smith's Lamborghini blew out.

"She just sits there and listens. It's good to just have... you can talk to somebody who won't judge you, actually can hear your thoughts and how you feel and that helps a lot," Smith said Thursday of the clinician.

Running back Kareem Hunt underwent counseling after being suspended for eight games by the league for violating its personal conduct policy in two physical altercations. Hunt said he still speaks to a professional, Don Patterson, whom he described as "an NFL guy, a Cleveland guy."

"Whenever I feel like I've got some built-up anger or stress about something, I'm able to talk to him and ease my mind and he's going to lead me down the right direction," Hunt said Friday, adding that it was "definitely" good to have an outlet for those feelings.

Maniar believes NFL players should have a full-time mental health professional available in team headquarters and on the road, even if there are some who believe the game is only five percent mental.

"Think if you had five percent more yards receiving or passing or five percent farther on a drive or five percent more points, that's the difference between making the playoffs and not," Maniar said in a Tuesday phone interview. "Why wouldn't you invest in training your players to be stronger mentally, whether it's on the field or off the field.

"Everybody agrees, or I would hope that in 2019 that it's important and it's probably needed, the question becomes how and who's going to pay for it."

Hubbard believes the league will soon get there.

"It plays a big role in dealing with football and the amount of stress and the things that you have to go through with your family, whether it's moving, expecting a baby. There's plenty of different things that can go through your mind that mental health fits into," Hubbard said. "Every Sunday, every week there's a new challenge. I think eventually there will be more people on teams, psychologists and things like that to help out."

Hubbard said the March, 2018 admission by Cavaliers' five-time All-Star forward Kevin Love that he had suffered panic attacks and sought treatment influenced him.

"At first we didn't hear about it, but when Kevin Love came out, I was like, 'Wow, it really is true and it's really something I need to look into,'" Hubbard said. "That's when I got with NAMI and they helped me out tremendously, just being a part and being an advocate with them."

Hubbard said he's never met Love, but hopes they can get together.

"We need to sit down," Hubbard said. "It would be nice; it would be awesome. Soon."

Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/browns. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.

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