Editor’s note: If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide or is in emotional distress, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK(8255) or at suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
Sometimes, Pat Fitzgerald’s mind still drifts back to last October. His players at Northwestern traveled to Nebraska for a pivotal game in a difficult season. Their coach would prefer to forget the final score—a 56–7 thumping—and the 3–9 record from last year. No, Fitzgerald’s mind lingers on the start of the third quarter and what happened in the stands.
Inside the Cornhuskers’ home venue, Memorial Stadium, both teams took part in College Football Mental Health Week. They wore H3H wristbands, No. 3 decals on their helmets and lime green ribbon pins in support of Hilinski’s Hope, a nonprofit organization that provides resources to support the mental health of college athletes. The players were joined by coaches, administrators and fans who packed into a stadium with a 90,000-seat capacity.
