When Texas A&M Aggies coach Mike Elko took the stage at SEC Media Days, he carved out a couple of minutes in his opening statement to address a topic that has received little attention — the mental health of college athletes.
On the field accomplishments and shortcomings are easy to document, but the mental battle from an avalanche of pressure brought on by media, fans, and coaches most college athletes experience happens in private. Elko took time at SEC Media Days to put a spotlight on the internal turmoil festering inside modern college athletes.
Elko Recognizes Mental Health as a Mounting Issue
NIL, realignment, and the transfer portal have progressed college football as a whole, but it has also added stressors to those around programs, specifically college athletes. Elko pointed this out in detail at the start of his time at the podium.
“Many have spoken about the changing times of modern college athletics, and we are part of a new era for sure,” Elko said at SEC Media Days. “The landscape in and around our sport, in and around college athletics, has changed constantly. Like many of my colleagues, there are certainly parts of this new era that have been challenging and frustrating to navigate.”
“But I also think it is important today to recognize that it is also a challenging time for our student-athletes. While it is true that players today receive significantly more perks for playing college football than ever before, we can’t lose sight of the fact that they are still 18 to 21-year-olds.”
“They are still very much in the developmental stage of their lives. Mental health issues are at an all-time high across the landscape of college football.”
Player Development On and Off the Field Paramount for Elko
Elko said he plans to use the bountiful resources at A&M to combat the mental health issue among his athletes, with player development remaining the top priority for him and his staff.
“The internal and external pressures that come along with this new model can be a lot for a young man to cope with,” Elko said.
“I think it’s important now more than ever that, though the landscape has changed and some of the rules have changed, the overall mission has not. We are still in the business of developing young people. We are still in the business of developing them to become better people both on and off the field.”
“Developing our players on the field to chase their NFL dreams is obviously critical success at Texas A&M, and we are fortunate to have the resources and facilities to do that, but its also important that we continue to enhance them off the field so they are well-prepared for what comes beyond the game.”
“We want to take pride in pouring as many resources in that area of our program as we do with football so that when our players leave our program, they are ready for whatever comes their way in life.”
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