Terry Bradshaw, the four-time Super Bowl champion and longtime FOX Sports analyst, is going public with a struggle he kept hidden for most of his career: depression.
In his new book, “Looking for Terry: A Memoir,” Bradshaw steps away from football to talk openly about his mental health. He told “Fox & Friends” on Oct. 14 that the book was a hard sell to his publisher precisely because it wasn’t about the game that made him famous.
“I haven’t been public with it as much, that’s why I came out with this book,” Bradshaw said.
To most people, Bradshaw comes across as upbeat, even larger than life. He’s built a reputation over decades as a tough guy, both on the field as a Pittsburgh Steelers legend and in the television booth. He said that image makes it hard for people to square with what he’s dealing with.
“People think, well, if you’re dealing with depression — I’m not dealing with depression right now,” Bradshaw said.
He described depression as something that “rears its ugly head” at times, but said it doesn’t erase who he is. He called it a sickening feeling that washes over him and is hard to shake off once it hits.
Bradshaw wants his book to push men in particular to be more honest about what they’re going through emotionally. He said women are often quicker to seek help, while men are more likely to turn to “a few drinks and some drugs” instead.
One of his darkest stretches came during the 1999 Super Bowl in Miami, where he was working as a broadcaster. He told Fox News co-host Brian Kilmeade that he couldn’t even get out of bed. Bradshaw said the depression can strike like a “demon in the night,” often triggered by stress, family issues or exhaustion.
These days, he has someone to lean on: his wife, Tammy, who has given his depression a nickname — Roy.
“She says to me, ‘Is Roy showing his ugly head?'” Bradshaw explained. “I say yeah, and then we start talking about it, and I’m telling you, it’s like the greatest gift in the world just to have someone you can share that with.”
Bradshaw said readers of “Looking for Terry: A Memoir” shouldn’t expect a highlight reel. Instead, he wants them to see “an ordinary guy who’s had an extraordinary run.” Above all, he said, he doesn’t want anyone to feel sorry for him.
