How well do we really know the athletes that play for our Philly Sports Teams? Rumor mills and speculation run through the presses every day to shed light on certain players’ conduct and attitudes.  Ever since a certain someone (who goes by the initials T.O.) sat in front of his Jersey home and explained his stance on what number should go in front of all the zeros on his check, Philly sports media has been obsessed with getting into the psyche of players instead of focusing on the player themselves.

With Shawn Andrews absent from all of training camp thus far, there have been rumors of him being unhappy with his contract, him being too lazy/overweight to compete in camp, or that he was afraid of getting injured and losing out on incentives for this season. All of this was false. All of this shed a negative light on Andrews absence without considering Andrews as a human being with problems just like the rest of us.

Andrews has depression and he is doing his best to deal with it before the tumultuous season begins. Depression is not related to how much money you make, or how famous you are (he’s on offensive lineman, he’s not that famous). Depression is a chemical imbalance that Andrews has likely dealt with for years without help. Now, he is defending a new kind of opponent… himself.

Andrews should be commended for admitting his problem and taking it head on. Andrews told the Inquirer, “I felt like maybe talking about my situation could be a blessing to someone else going through the same things.”

Many Pro-Athletes are role models for kids growing up following their home town celebrities. Some shouldn’t be (i.e. Michael Vick, Chad Johnson). But someone who deals with their personal problems and then can extend a hand to others who are going though tough times. That is a role model that people need. Shawn, you have always been a big man… but you are a bigger one today.