00:00So, I know this is a little out of character for what we do here on the Craig Carton Show,
00:03but I think it's necessary that we spend a moment or two talking about it.
00:07As you are going through your day today, you may have heard already.
00:10If not, I'll bring you the news, sadly, that Marshawn Nealon,
00:13Dallas Cowboy defensive player, 24 years old, passed away last night.
00:19Those of you that watched the Cowboy game a couple nights ago,
00:23you know that he was a defensive lineman that recovered the blocked punt
00:26against Arizona in the end zone for a touchdown.
00:30And celebrated it.
00:31The Cowboys, of course, wanted to lose that game.
00:33Unfortunately, last night, someone called in for a welfare check at his home.
00:38Nobody answered the door.
00:39And then, I guess, when police or first responders made entry into Marshawn's house,
00:44they found that he had passed away.
00:46There's a lot of rumors out there about what it might be.
00:48Obviously, when you hear welfare check and a young man at 24 years old passing away,
00:53one of the first things you consider is suicide.
00:55That is not confirmed just yet.
00:57But no reason to talk around it.
00:59Let's talk about it.
01:00You know, I've experienced moments in my life where I was in a very low place
01:06and considered taking my own life.
01:09And it's why whenever I can and when I counsel, you know,
01:13young compulsive gamblers and their families,
01:16it's one of the things I get concerned about
01:17because the suicide rate amongst gamblers is higher than any other addiction.
01:21This is not about gambling.
01:22It's just about being a man.
01:23There's a thought that goes through our society that real men, quote-unquote,
01:29don't share their feelings, don't open up when they're hurting.
01:33And nothing can be further from the truth.
01:35Pain is real.
01:37Emotional pain is real.
01:38Mental pain is real.
01:40And my advice has always been since I went through it
01:44and had my life saved by a friend who, God's grace, answered the phone when I called.
01:50And I was going to jump off a chairlift out in British Columbia down probably to my death,
01:56you know, 150 feet down off a chairlift.
01:57But I thankfully had my phone with me and called the first number I had.
02:02It's a friend that, you know, Tyrone and I both have in common.
02:05And he just talked me down and told me he loved me over and over again
02:08and stopped me from doing what I was getting ready to do.
02:12The reason I share that is if that is the case with Marsha Nealon,
02:16you got to look out for people you care about.
02:19You have to ask the question, are you okay?
02:21Talk to me.
02:22And for those of you that are going through a tough moment,
02:25for whatever reason, whether it's self-inflicted,
02:27whether it's the job, a relationship, just life in and of itself,
02:31and you feel like getting up tomorrow and waking up tomorrow isn't worth it,
02:35it is worth it.
02:36And I can speak to that from personal experience.
02:39I would have missed out on so much.
02:40My family would have missed out on so much
02:42had I jumped off that chairlift, you know, back in 2018.
02:46And I just think it's important that we drop the stereotype
02:49that real men don't open up, that real men don't cry,
02:53that real men don't share their feelings.
02:56And I know it's a cliche now, but it's also okay to not be okay.
03:00And it's okay to call a dear friend, a brother, a family member,
03:04someone in your life that you know loves you,
03:07and just pick up the phone and say, I need help.
03:10I'm not okay.
03:11You know, and again, this is not confirmed,
03:14but when I hear welfare check,
03:16and then of course they find that Marshawn passed away,
03:19it seems like in his home,
03:20and he's 24 years old,
03:22there was obviously something else going on in his life
03:25that nobody knew about or that he didn't ask for help with.
03:30And it's an unnecessary lost life.
03:33That's what this is,
03:34assuming that the welfare check is what I think it might be.
03:38And if it's not,
03:39it still doesn't change the fact
03:41that there's a 24-year-old who's dead and shouldn't be.
03:45And I would just say,
03:46and I know this is like a soapbox thing,
03:47and I don't want it to be,
03:49but pick up the phone,
03:51call somebody,
03:52call anybody.
03:53It could be a pastor,
03:55a rabbi,
03:56a relative,
03:57a friend,
03:58a co-worker.
03:59If you're feeling off,
04:01if there's something not right,
04:03you know what the manly thing to do is?
04:05It's actually to ask for help
04:07and show a little vulnerability.
04:09It's okay to not be perfect.
04:11It's okay to not always be Superman
04:13for everybody around you.
04:15And I just wanted to share that because,
04:17you know,
04:17it happens all too often.
04:18And every time it happens,
04:20you know,
04:20you'll see a random public service announcement
04:23that nobody pays attention to,
04:25but it's real.
04:26It's real.
04:27There are people in your lives,
04:28in my life,
04:29in Tyrone's life,
04:30that are hurting right now,
04:32and we may not know it.
04:34And I would just say one other thing.
04:36If you are aware of it,
04:37if a friend of yours is acting off
04:39or not the way they usually act,
04:41care enough to ask them what's going on.
04:43Absolutely.
04:43And real fast,
04:44if anybody out there feels like
04:45they have no loved ones to speak to,
04:47you can call or text 988
04:49to get a professional to help you out
04:51if you feel comfortable there
04:53because there's always somebody out there
04:55that is looking out for you.
04:57There's also a great app
04:57that I do some work with.
04:59It's H-E-Y-Y,
05:00Hey.
05:01And they are 24-7 available for counseling.
05:04Or if you are feeling like
05:05you're going to hurt yourself
05:06or do something bad to yourself,
05:08you can go to this app
05:09and there are people 24-7 standing by
05:11just to kind of talk you
05:12off the ledge a little bit.
05:13But thoughts and prayers go out
05:15to the Cowboys' extended family,
05:16to Marshawn Nealon's family,
05:18his girlfriend,
05:19his folks,
05:20and people that cared about him.
05:21And it's just an unnecessary loss of life.
05:24And I'm just begging you,
05:25please reach out and call somebody.
05:28That one call could very well save your life.
05:31And I think you should do it.
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