Kyle Turley admits suicidal thoughts, fears brain damage
 

Former NFL offensive lineman Kyle Turley admits that he’s scared.

That’s why he takes medication he hopes staves off degenerative brain damage, and why he called a league-sponsored help line when he considered suicide.

Turley, in an in-depth story with Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego, thinks both stem from a career in the NFL which included two diagnosed concussions but what he thinks are many more undiagnosed ones.

“I’ve got young kids,” Turley said. “It’s scary as hell. It keeps me up at night. It’s something that weighs on me heavily.”

Turley, who is one of more than 4,000 former players involved in a concussion lawsuit against the NFL, said he suffers bouts of vertigo and light sensitivity. He said his grandfather suffered from ALS, but that there was no other family history that involved brain disease, or pointed to suicidal thoughts.

“No one in my family has ever gone crazy and killed themselves or thought about that,” Turley said. “I have. It’s not a thought that is fleeting. It’s a thought that goes away when I’m on my medication, and the thought of doing a lot of crazy things as well and making unbelievable decisions.”

Turley has a 2-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son, and he said he wants to do anything he can to make the game safer if his son wants to follow in his footsteps.

“I’ve got as good of a chance as anybody of going down that road into Crazy Land or into Super Crazy Disease Land,” Turley said. “I’ve got every opportunity to probably be in the same boat in the future, and I don’t know how far in the future. It’s very, very disturbing, very frustrating, very stressful to deal with, especially having kids.”

Those children were on his mind when he called the NFL Life Line, a 24-hour counseling hotline set up by the league after Junior Seau’s death last year.

“It was imperative that I did,” Turley said. “I don’t know how to explain it. It’s just a moment where you’re lost. You’re completely gone. You don’t understand the things that you’re doing, you’re pissed at yourself because you’re doing the things that you’re doing, and you have little control, it seems, over it.

“Even in the moment, you’re saying, ‘Why is this happening? What is going on?’ But you’re still in it. It’s a weird thing. I don’t really know how to describe it. It’s frustrating to no end, and that frustration can lead you to some pretty low places. Only those who have gotten to the point where they picked up a phone can probably understand.”

He can’t help but think about Seau at such times, and the fact that the support system that stemmed from the former Chargers linebacker’s death might have saved his own life.

Kyle Turley admits suicidal thoughts, fears brain damage | ProFootballTalk

Re: Kyle Turley admits suicidal thoughts, fears brain damage
 

I live near Indianapolis and when the Super Bowl was here Turley was too. He was going around with a guitar and singing to any radio station that would listen.

Re: Kyle Turley admits suicidal thoughts, fears brain damage
 

I miss the big lug...

I pray and hope he can find help and comfort...

He was one of my All-Time favorite Saints...

Re: Kyle Turley admits suicidal thoughts, fears brain damage
 

I though he killed the dude the time he ripped some guys helmet off.

Re: Kyle Turley admits suicidal thoughts, fears brain damage
 

... And a head banger too!

Re: Kyle Turley admits suicidal thoughts, fears brain damage
 

...but he threw that helmet like a sissy.










I would not tell him that to his face ;-) :-D

Re: Kyle Turley admits suicidal thoughts, fears brain damage
 

not without an escape route!

Re: Kyle Turley admits suicidal thoughts, fears brain damage
 

Preferably emergency helicopter basket... may as well call one before, your going to need it either way.

Re: Kyle Turley admits suicidal thoughts, fears brain damage
 

dam i hope not. i loved to watch him play.

i guess anger mgm classes earlier in life might have helped

i still roflma when i think of that

Re: Kyle Turley admits suicidal thoughts, fears brain damage
 

Me too. I thought the guys head was still in it.

Re: Kyle Turley admits suicidal thoughts, fears brain damage
 

The human body was not designed to stop a projectile or be a projectile

Re: Kyle Turley admits suicidal thoughts, fears brain damage
 

Then STOP all form of contact sports NOW!!! It is obvious that if big, strong and fast athlete's dressed in "protective" gear are allowed to make full contact as fast and hard as possible that some form of damage, be it long or short term will occur. The league should always improve on the protection but also tell the players "The NFL Commissioner has determined that playing this game could cause health difficulties."

I'm sorry for the players that are suffering effects but no one put a gun to their head and and told them play or else.

Mike Golic from Mike and Mike is refreshing in that he says even if the league told him what would happen he would have still played.

I believe that holds true for all of them.

Does Turley blame a head injury for the helmet chuck during the Jets game?

It's a little like a porn star complaining "I got an STD from work" they didn't warn me that could happen! Really?

Re: Kyle Turley admits suicidal thoughts, fears brain damage
 

Turley wasn't right in the head when he was here, so this does not come as shocking news to me.

Re: Kyle Turley admits suicidal thoughts, fears brain damage
 

How eloquently put... There was nothing wrong with his mind, he was just an intense competitor. The helmet throw was to send a message to the other team after they appeared to be trying to injure his QB. I thought it was great, and I've always had respect for Turley.

Hopefully he doesn't have any brain damage now.

Re: Kyle Turley admits suicidal thoughts, fears brain damage
 

Some people respond differently to the meds and supplements given as a pro-athlete and I suspect in Turley's case, a closer examination is warranted...

Absolutely love the guy...

If I were a sculptor, I would do some Greek Epic Hero Statue where he's in a Discus Toss pose just before extension, only it's a helmet in his cradle...

I'd put it right next to "The Block" in our Valhalla Legends of Lore Gauntlet of Heroes...

Re: Kyle Turley admits suicidal thoughts, fears brain damage
 

Does anyone remember when Turley carried once... think he scooped up a fumble...tried to find it but it was ages ago.

As for his suicidal thoughts, I'm not questioning the validity of his claims but even he has to admit he never was a straight arrow to begin with.