Analysis

8/26/21

2 min read

Chargers Rookie KJ Sails Talks About Overcoming Depression

Chargers rookie cornerback KJ Sails has already overcome a lot – and the undrafted free agent has big plans for himself no matter how his NFL career transpires. Sails told the 33rd Team that his future goals include being the mayor of his hometown, Tampa, Fla.

“You can’t change the world unless you change the community that you live in,” Sails said.

In this video, Sails touches on his upbringing, including the depression he faced in college when his grandmother and sister died within a matter of weeks.

“It definitely put me in a tough place mentally,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in that state of mind in my life, even with all the tough times that I went through.”

Sails did have plenty of help along the way. While at North Carolina, it was head coach Mack Brown who recommended and then helped him transfer to South Florida, where he could be closer to his family.

“Depression is a tough thing,” said Sails. “I wasn’t scared to say that I’m hurt, scared to say that I’m not right mentally, I’m not thinking like myself. Once you’re quiet and everything is bottled up inside, you just kind of explode. And that’s not what you want.

“For me, it was talking about it. The more I talked about it, the more I cried. The more I said, ‘I can get through it.’”

Watch the video:
[youtube-video id="HN96b3znBgU"]


RELATED