Matt Rhule, continued:
"Our generation of kids — my kids — they all just say, ‘Yeah, I’m fine. I’m straight.’ You really gotta unearth it.
"I look at road trips and travel and I look at time together at practice as chances to impact young people’s lives and try to be around them. I would encourage everybody today, with your own kids or people you work with, just to check on them, because that young man scored a touchdown just a couple days ago.
"And on the outside, you’d think he’s at the pinnacle. But he’s dealing with something, and I don’t know what it was. But I pray for him — him and his family.
"That's the weight of coaching young people today. They're going through a lot — way more than I went through growing up. But yeah, it's a sad, sad story, a sad fate. I'm praying for him.
"But I also know this. There's probably someone on my team going through something very similar. In what ways can I be there for them? Can we all be there for them? I think that's the blessing we have of having another week together, so I'm grateful for it. I've challenged our guys all week to be great teammates — to rally together, to come together, and not just for TJ but for every single guy on this team.
"... That's what we're trying to build. And it's maybe old school, it's not in vogue anymore. Everything's about the transfer portal and rev share. But I still think young people probably need people that care about them. That's never more evident today."
Prompted by the death of Dallas' Marshawn Kneeland, Nebraska coach Matt Rhule's last answer during his press conference today turned into a long and thoughtful several minutes on mental health and connecting with one another.
"Seeing the tragic news out of Dallas today, understand that none of us know what people are going through. That's why I think we all should be careful about what we say to people. I think we should be careful what we tweet about people. I think we should be cognizant of what everyone's going through.
"I told our players they should take their headphones off in the cafeteria and sit down with someone and be like, 'How you doin', man? What's going on with you?'
"... It's just awful, awful, awful news. I've given the eulogy for players of mine who've had the same thing happen. You just never know what people are going through.
"I will forever, for the rest of my life, think about the time that I saw Adrian Robinson right before he took his own life. I saw him on campus and ... I was like, 'I need to catch up with Adrian.' And a week later, he left this world and a month later I was giving the eulogy. I wish in my life, I could go back and just stop and say, 'Hey, how you doing?'
"I know it's not what you asked, but it's on my heart. I just shared with the team like, it's a time in this world for us to be kind to people."
@Foxtel you're at the forefront of innovation...how about being able to isolate commentators in sport. Turn off, Mark Howard for example. Would be brilliant.
@FOXFOOTY any chance Huddo might show some balance in his call? I appreciate the game is one sided, but he has buried the Bombers all night. Ask him to listen to Bucks, he gets it.
@EFC_Membership@essendonfc is your product really worth the price increase? Shouldn't the monthly payments drop later in the year like team performance? I'm a 20+ year member & want to keep the streak going, but it's now unlikely. You're taking advantage of your loyal fan base.