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Bradshaw discusses mental health at EC presentation

Leader-Telegram - 2/8/2017

Feb. 08--Four-time National Football League Super Bowl winner and television personality Terry Bradshaw had his comedic moments Tuesday night, but it was his seriousness about mental health, personal commitment and kindness in general that greatly impacted the capacity crowd at The State Theatre.

"He is the same goofy guy that we see on TV," Mary Bastion, of Menomonie, said as she left the 50-minute presentation. "But to have him talk about his faith, love and the preciousness of life, that kind of shocked me. I wouldn't think a famous football player like that would say those types of things."

Bradshaw, in rancher-style attire and in nonscripted mode, admitted he was uncertain what city he was in, saying he'd had little time to rest after being part of Fox network's Super Bowl presentation Sunday.

"This is the only gathering I'm doing all year," he said, referring to his part in the Human Connection Series presented by HSHS Sacred Heart and St. Joseph's hospitals. "I thought I was somewhere else tonight."

Bradshaw, 68, briefly told of his glory days as quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who won four titles in six seasons in the 1970s.

"I have a lot of memories. In fact, that's all I have now," he said, drawing laughs from the crowd. "I had three 300-yard games in my career. Isn't that terrible?"

The NFL Hall of Famer openly spoke of depression, with a divorce hitting him hard. Even with success on the football field and business interests, he had emotional breakdowns.

"It got to where I couldn't get out of the hole," he said as the crowd quieted. "I couldn't get happy."

Bradshaw said he met with mental health experts and took medications for many years but was still struggling.

"I really learned about me," he said about his therapy. "It still comes, but it doesn't overwhelm me anymore."

Bradshaw, in his usual animated manner, challenged men in particular to come to grips with depression and get assistance. "It's the smartest thing, acknowledging you have a problem," he said.

The combination of treatment for depression, his Christian faith, a caring wife and a drive to utilize every day's opportunities now allows Bradshaw to be happy in most situations.

"I don't waste a day," he said. "I work at it. I want to enjoy life, this God-given life. We need to be kind to people, learn how to love again, how to care again."

Regarding his sometimes silliness as a football analyst, he said: "The goofy guys are the geniuses up there. The geniuses have limits; stupidity doesn't."

Rhonda Brown of HSHS 3D community health, said the event was held "to bring mental health to the forefront. We thought the message Terry Bradshaw has about depression would resonate with some of the men in our community, to get men to realize that they don't need to be ashamed and to get the help that they need."

James Kirchen of Chippewa Falls, donning Steelers attire, said he attended the event because he was a lifelong Steelers fan.

"My father (Jim of Manitowoc) was a huge Packers fan," Kirchen said. "When I started watching football, the Steelers were the best team, so I became their fan. My father said, once you have a favorite team, it has to be your team forever, so I said, 'OK.'

"I actually wanted to try to get my jersey signed, but he's an advocate for depression," Kirchen said. "He has a message about that and how to be successful in life."

John Schwinefus, of Eau Claire, said he's lived 20 years in Wisconsin but became a Steelers fan as a kid when watching the first Steelers-Cowboys Super Bowl game.

"You can't corrupt a Steelers fan," he said. "I've admired Terry Bradshaw since I was a little kid and saw this opportunity to see him, so I took it."

Barb Tzanakis of Chippewa Falls, and a native of Pittsburgh, was on hand Tuesday because "I want to see Terry Bradshaw, and it's also a good event for the hospitals."

Rebecca Oetzman, 33, of Hillsboro wasted little time to get tickets for Tuesday's event because her mother, Holly, is a massive Steelers fan.

"She's been a diehard Terry Bradshaw fan since he was drafted," Rebecca said about her mother, who also painted her house in Steelers colors. "When the opportunity arose to possibly meet and see him, we had to do it."

Contact: 715-830-5831, chuck.rupnw@ecpc.com, @crupnow on Twitter

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(c)2017 the Leader-Telegram (Eau Claire, Wis.)

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