Erik Coleman would dominate on the field. Then he'd come home and throw up.

The stress of what was happening at home followed him everywhere. He was getting an ulcer as a young athlete, and almost no one knew. He put on a front for everyone, and he got pretty good at hiding it from the world.

Football took him all the way to a nine-year NFL career. But the league that hyped him up for years didn't let him leave on his own terms. At 31, he was a veteran whose minimum salary rose every season, and a team could pay three young players for the price of one of him. On his day off in Detroit, security was waiting at his parking spot. They walked him into the building, told him he was being fired, and said to grab whatever he could. They'd send him the rest. That was the end of his career.

Erik sits down with Michael Herbert to talk about the side of sports fans never see: the pressure, the hiding, and what it feels like to be discarded by the game that defined you. Movement and community can be powerful tools in recovery. One sober active community, The Phoenix, found that 87% of members stayed sober after three months of active participation, and a study of 1.2 million Americans found that people who exercise report 43% fewer days of poor mental health each month, with team sports showing some of the biggest benefits. Erik's story is a reminder that the same game can also be where the pain begins.

Professional athletes are people too, with the same emotions and the same feelings as anyone else. At the end of the day, what lasts isn't the stat line. It's your faith, your focus, and the way you carry yourself.

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This episode is sponsored by Guardian Recovery. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health challenges, Guardian can help. Visit https://www.guardianrecovery.com or call 888-721-3790 for confidential support and guidance.