Tanner Mangum Creates Graphics To Bring Awareness To Mental Health
Sep 27, 2019, 2:55 PM
Brigham Young Cougars head coach Kalani Sitaki hugs Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Tanner Mangum (12) as part of senior night in Provo on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018. (Jeff Allred, Deseret News)
(Jeff Allred, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY – Former BYU quarterback Tanner Mangum has always been an athlete that wants to use his platform to help those around him.
Mangum, who during his playing career at BYU announced he was battling mild depression and anxiety, has pushed to create more awareness surrounding mental health.
On Friday, Mangum went to his personal Twitter account to show graphics he personally created that highlight statistics involving mental health throughout the United States.
I created a few graphics that might help spread some mental health awareness. Feel free to screenshot or share! 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/nWwTz8UUy3
— Tanner Mangum (@tannermangum) September 27, 2019
The stats Mangum highlighted which were pulled from the National Alliance on Mental Illness are the following:
- 1 in 5 American adults suffer from a mental illness
- 16 million American adults suffer from depression
- 56% of U.S. adults with a mental illness don’t get treatment
In Mangum’s fourth graphic it didn’t feature a statistic but rather a goal, “Put the men in mental health awareness.”
“For a long time, I was skeptical about mental health. I didn’t know much about it,” said Mangum in a documentary on mental health titled, Unashamed. “There’s kind of a sense of taboo and stigma that surrounds it because there’s a sense of weakness that comes with it.
“I’m not perfect but I’m just thankful for the chance to be a good example to others and to make an impact and to lighten someone’s burden or reach out to someone and be kind and just to make a difference in someone’s life. That’s rewarding, that’s lifelong. That’s fulfillment you can enjoy for the rest of your life,” Mangum said.
Mangum continuing to play football
The invite is official. @xfl2020 pic.twitter.com/s47pEM1gC1
— Tanner Mangum (@tannermangum) August 13, 2019
After wrapping up his career at BYU a season ago, Mangum had some tryouts with NFL teams this past May. Now Mangum is focusing his attention on the XFL where he was invited by the league’s commissioner to be in their inaugural draft pool which takes place next month on October 15th and 16th.
The XFL features eight teams and will have 70-man rosters for each franchise.
If you or someone you know is in crisis please call the toll-free Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) to speak with a trained crisis counselor 24/7. Or you can text 741-741 with a trained crisis counselor to receive free, 24/7 crisis support via text message.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
