When you see a quarterback throw a last-second touchdown pass to win a playoff game, you may see a bright smile on his face as he high-fives his teammates and leaps into the air to celebrate.

However when he goes home that night, he sits in the dark alone in his apartment wondering why he can’t be happy and how the constant pressure of hiding how he feels is slowly eating away at him.

When a star point guard stands at the free throw line with seconds remaining, she may look calm and confident when her shots softly swish through the net to send her team into the championship game.

However, it may seem like she knows what she’s doing but behind that grim and determined face, she’s terrified. Later in bed that night, she will jolt awake panicking about the game even though it’s already over and won’t be able go back to sleep.

On the surface, athletes appear to be invincible machines that can’t be stopped by their opponents, let alone by their own feelings. So they’re taught to hide how they feel.

If they’re feeling sad, they’re asked, “Why can’t you cheer up?” and told to smile. If they’re worried, they’re told to simply to stop worrying and that they’re being crazy. If they’re having a hard time with their everyday lives in general, they are told to just “suck it up” or “Some people have it worse than you.”

While some people believe that the “tough love” approach is the best way to deal with players’ emotions, when all you can think about is possibly ending your life, those are definitely not comforting statements to hear.

So they put on an act. Just like in that commercial, they put on a happy face because that’s what they’re expected to do or because they don’t want to bring down any of their friends or family members. It’s been said misery loves company, but that’s not necessarily true.

For eight years, former Ishpeming quarterback Daniel Olson tried to put on that happy face and for the last five of those eight years, only his family and a few people knew of his struggles. Eventually, it became too much for him to bear and he took his own life in 2012.

He’s not the only one who battled it for long periods of time.

Retired U.S. national soccer star Landon Donovan took a three-month break from the sport he loves in 2013 to battle his depression.

Former NFL great Terry Bradshaw has battled depression, anxiety and anger issues over the course of his life.

Former NHL goalie Clint Malarchuk, who is most known for having his throat slashed by an opponent’s skate during a game that almost killed him, has had to fight post-traumatic stress disorder and even attempted suicide at one point.

All of these players are either seen as legends or as up-and-coming players who had lots of potential, but hadn’t reached their peak. Little did we know the demons that they had to deal with behind closed doors.

Now Daniel Olson’s father, Ishpeming head football coach Jeff Olson, and his family are speaking out about their son’s issues and are trying to create awareness of mental health, which included the making of a documentary called “Do It For Daniel.”

Jeff has been going to various schools showing the documentary as a way to promote mental health awareness. By doing so, he and his family are hoping that others who are suffering will step forward and get the help that they need.

In addition to Olson’s promotion of mental health awareness, the Great Lakes Recovery Center has been offering Mental Health First Aid classes to members of the community as a way for people to identify, understand and respond to those facing a mental illness.

On the national front, Donovan has tried to get out the message himself to other athletes about the importance of mental health. In an interview last year with the Huffington Post, Donovan talked about how mental illness can especially affect retired athletes.

“I think our problem is we wrap our identity around what we do and it becomes who we are,” Dovovan said.

He’s right in that regard. When players step off the gridiron, court or ice rink for the last time, they wonder where to go from there. They were known for their athletic achievements and now that those days are gone, some feel lost and don’t know where to turn. As a result, those feelings can develop into something worse or become a potential disaster.

Mental illness is often stigmatized as someone who needs to be placed in a padded cell because they are acting crazy, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Those suffering from mental illness sometimes are quite simply just a person who needs someone to listen to them talk and try to help them sort things out.

I know this because I was the same way. I was never clinically diagnosed with depression but I’ve battled it for years, trying to be happy so I wouldn’t bring others down with me. I only started to overcome those feelings of despair when I was encouraged to try to seek help a few years ago.

Those feelings may never truly go away, but at least I understand my triggers and can try to control my thoughts the best I can with the coping skills I’ve learned. When I start to get overwhelmed, I no longer feel ashamed about asking for help.

Athletes feel pressure on a constant basis. They must be at their absolute best to please their family, friends, coaches and fans. If they make mistakes, it devastates them and they may carry it with them far longer than you might think.

If they succeed, they’re expected to bask in it, but some simply can’t. They may be surrounded by cheers, but behind those big grins or calm demeanor, they may be drowning and need a hand to help pull them out of the water.

So whether you’re an athlete or not and you constantly experience the constant sadness of depression or the crippling fear of anxiety and just feel like you can’t go on, don’t be afraid to seek help.  

There’s no need for you to hide behind a mask anymore; we can help you pull it off.

Ryan Stieg can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 252. His email address is rstieg @miningjournal.net.