He's won four Super Bowls, earned a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and become a beloved face on Fox Sports. But Terry Bradshaw's greatest victory might be the one he's fighting off the field.
At 78, the football icon is getting candid about his long-running war with what he calls "ugly" mental health diseases—depression and anxiety—that have shadowed him for decades.
In a new memoir and an interview with People, Bradshaw revealed that during his playing days, mental health was a taboo subject in the locker room. "You didn't talk about it," he admitted.
It wasn't until the 1990s, after his playing career had ended, that Bradshaw was officially diagnosed with depression and anxiety. Since then, medication has been a crucial part of his treatment, and he credits it with helping him manage the condition.
But his strongest ally is his wife, Tammy. "She just gets me out of it. She gets my mind off of it. She frees me up," Bradshaw told People. "We do something. We talk about it."
Bradshaw is determined to shatter the stigma that often surrounds mental health, especially among men. "I may be emotional about it, but I'm totally comfortable with telling her," he said. "Men think that's a weakness. I got past it being a weakness. It's a sickness. There's nothing wrong with admitting you've got issues."
His willingness to speak out resonates in a sports world where mental health struggles are increasingly coming to light—from a recent controversy involving Jay Glazer and Stephen A. Smith to a sports TV host revealing her own health battle.
Despite being well past typical retirement age, Bradshaw isn't slowing down. He's signed a contract with Fox that will keep him on air through the 2028-29 Super Bowl. "I love my job," he told the Los Angeles Times. "This year was the first year that I got nervous. I wanted to extend my contract. So I signed through the Super Bowl. Two more years. I'll be 80."
Bradshaw returns to the Fox NFL Sunday set this weekend, proving that age is just a number—and that opening up about mental health is a sign of strength, not weakness.
