Dwayne Haskins Jr. was not OK. His dad is ready to talk about it – to help others

This is grief with a purpose. More than four years since the tragedy of losing his only son, Dwayne Haskins Sr. is so determined to add depth to the legacy of the former NFL quarterback’s complicated life with compassion that he is certain will help others.

Here are some words for this: Admirable. Courageous. Spiritual.

Haskins, through the family’s foundation, will host a talk-back discussion on mental health on May 16th at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn in Maryland that, following a community walk in conjunction with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), will honor his son’s life and launch an awareness campaign. He is convinced that his son – a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2018 who led the NCAA with 4,831 passing yards and 50 touchdowns in his lone season as a starter at Ohio State, yet was cut less than two seasons after Washington drafted him in the first round in 2019 – suffered from unchecked mental health issues as his career and life quickly spiraled off-course. “Bro, it’s personal to me,” Haskins told USA TODAY Sports, a day after commemorating Dwayne Jr.

’s 29th birthday on May 3. “I’ve never said anything about Dwayne publicly. ” The floor is yours, Sir.