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NFL Legend Brian Dawkins Recalls 5K March with US Veterans to Prevent Suicide: ‘An Honor for Me’

NFL Legend Brian Dawkins Recalls 5K March with US Veterans to Prevent Suicide: ‘An Honor for Me’

Brian Dawkinsone of the most feared defenders football has ever seen, he has always been vocal about his mental health issues and how he overcame his own.

He took time to discuss these issues in his Hall of Fame speech and continues to be an advocate for those struggling, including the U.S. military veterans.

In partnership with USAA, Wounded Warrior Project and Face The Fight, Dawkins recently traveled to San Antonio to participate in a “revolt march” aimed at raising awareness about mental health and, more specifically, the ever-important mission of fighting veteran suicide prevention .

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Brian Dawkins talks on headphones

Brian Dawkins speaks during SiriusXM’s Super Bowl LIII Radio Row on January 31, 2019 in Atlanta. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

The 5K march is carried out with over 50-pound bags carried across the body, symbolizing the mental and emotional toll veterans must endure after fighting for our freedoms.

“Honestly, if it was up to me, I wanted more weight,” Dawkins said of weighted backpacks. “I wanted to have a lot more weight in the bag just to know what they sacrificed and what they had to face. Of course, it won’t be synonymous, but the symbolic message behind it is the importance of having had, first of all, the training in the military, the discipline necessary to do what they do, and then some of the things that they have been asked to do for the country, and the trauma of having these memories.

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“So with all that in mind, it was a great honor to be in the presence of our heroes, to hear their stories. To really and completely shut up to listen to what they wanted to talk about, and you can hear that our veterans are resilient, they want to get up and fight, and some of them haven’t always been in a place where they didn’t want to get up, I don’t want to move on.”

Dawkins posted a video of the event, which also showed a roundtable discussion with veterans sharing their stories about struggling with mental health and wanting to help those around them.

Brian Dawkins with his fist in the air

Hall of Fame member Brian Dawkins speaks after receiving his Hall of Fame ring during the halftime presentation as the Carolina Panthers face the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on October 21, 2018 in Philadelphia. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

“First of all, when you get to the event, you will stop and immediately realize that you are in a different place,” Dawkins recalls. “I don’t want this to be too drastic for people, but some cats are missing arms, some cats are missing legs. Some people are disfigured when it comes to their faces, so you’re in a different place, right? It hits you and it dawns on you that the reason they are like this is because they fought – they fought for the US

“What our veterans continue to struggle with depends on the individual and the trauma in their life, but for these individuals it is a lifelong struggle.”

After talking to veterans and learning about their personal journeys, Dawkins’ appreciation for what they and many others do to protect our freedoms has grown tremendously.

Now, being in the situation he is in NFL legendDawkins is doing everything he can to spread the word.

Brian Dawkins walks on the field

Brian Dawkins looks on as he recently joined the Philadelphia Eagles scouting department during an NFL training camp workout on July 31, 2016 in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola, file)

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“I have been blessed to have some understanding and gained some strength from my actions and the things I have gone through in life. So if I can use the platform that I have been blessed with, the Lord has blessed me to now pay more attention and again amplify the message of our veterans and help them in any way you can.”

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