Andrews Suffering From Depression

Eagles' offensive lineman Shawn Andrews has mysteriously been absent from the team's training camp over the past week. All that we were told was that he was out for personal reasons. On Tuesday, Andrews sent a text message to ESPN Radio 950 Philadelphia that all of the rumors were untrue, but did not provide an actual reason for his absence. Andrews, widely considered the Eagles' best offensive lineman, has been missed while the team regroups and prepares for the upcoming season. Fellow linemate Jon Runyan has been publicly critical and unhappy with Andrews' absence, stating that "It's not helping us, and it's not helping him sitting out," Runyan was quoted as saying in a Daily News blog. "The longer he holds out, the longer it will be before he gets in there. So it's going to be a tough situation. If you keep giving reps to the guy who's backing you up, at some point, he's going to pass you." In an exclusive interview with Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquierer, Andrews finally opened up Monday about why he has not yet shown up to training camp. According to Andrews, "After finally deciding to get professional help, I felt like maybe talking about my situation could be a blessing to someone else going through the same things," Andrews said today from his home in Arkansas. "Regardless of whether you're a celebrity or you play for the Philadelphia Eagles and you're in the limelight, you still go through problems." Andrews has been dealing with depression and has not been in the right frame of mind to play football. Your job is important, but your mental health takes priority. Despite a successful career with the Eagles, Andrews has endured some tough times during his four years in the league. In 2007, he lost a good friend to a heart attack. The friend was only 23, but was overweight, and this spurred the 6-foot-5, 335-pound Andrews to lose some weight and eat healthier. His brother Derrick has endured two very dangerous tours of duty in in Afghanistan with the United States Army. He has also had a gun pulled on him several times in this City of Brotherly Love. The most recent time was during the Eagles' playoff run in January of 2007. "A lot of things in my life have happened even since I've come to Philadelphia," Andrews said. "Random people have pulled out a gun on me. One time during the playoffs, some guy walked from around a building and said, 'You're going to the Pro Bowl? [blank] him, he's not going to the Pro Bowl.' Luckily, I was talking to someone and I didn't hear him. If I heard it, I think I'd have been on the ground." Andrews did not delve into the exact details of all of his troubles, but did explain that he was dealing with several issues, some dating back to his childhood. "I've just had a lot of thoughts and questions going through my mind about a lot of things," he said. "Some things I'm embarrassed to talk about. But even dating back to when I was growing up . . . people made fun of me. I always wanted people to think I was more than what I was. "When I got into the [NFL], I wanted to be man enough to admit that, but I tried to use material things to say who I was. I know now that some of the happiest times in my life were when I didn't have a pot to piss in. I'm hoping this is just part of my growing process." Even the tough, rich, and famous have issues with confidence and self-worth. Despite initially rejecting help, Andrews has started to see a psychiatrist and take medication to treat his depression. "My pride got in the way," Andrews said. "I didn't want anybody to see me walking into a psych clinic. Professionals aren't always the answer. Sometimes, just talking things out helps. And now with all the rumors coming out, it has only made things worse. Some of the comments really got to me. You always hear guys say that they don't care what people think and sometimes I don't about certain things. But in the grand scheme, I want people to think positive about me." And talking does help. It takes a lot of courage for someone to speak openly about their problems and their deficiencies, especially a tough offensive lineman like Andrews. Football is not a culture that encourages and nurtures a problem like depression; it does not encourage grown, hard nosed men to talk about their feelings and their fears. Andrews should be commended and supported for his courage and I know we all hope that he makes a speedy recovery. I know I speak for everyone here at Hot Stove Philly when I wish Andrews the best of luck and all our support.