On the surface, Philadelphia Eagles’ stars, right tackle Lane Johnson and center Jason Kelce, appear to have everything going for them.
Selected by the Eagles in 2013, Johnson as the fourth overall pick, and Kelce, already an established cornerstone of the team, they both reached the pinnacle of NFL success with a Super Bowl win in 2017. By 2019, Johnson had secured a four-year contract worth over $72 million, reaffirming his status alongside Kelce as linchpins in the team’s offensive line. Now, they’re gearing up for another Super Bowl showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs on February 12.
Yet, despite these accolades, Johnson reveals a more tumultuous internal struggle, shared and understood by Kelce. For most of his football career, Johnson confesses to having been “living in hell,” grappling with severe anxiety that dates back to his high school days, a sentiment Kelce empathizes with given the pressures of the game.
Game days were particularly harrowing for Johnson and Kelce. Johnson found himself resorting to vomiting or “dry heaving” as a means to cope with the immense pressure, a struggle that Kelce, too, recognized in the high stakes of their profession. A single error in an otherwise flawless performance could attract overwhelming criticism for both.
Describing his professional ordeal, Johnson likened it to “[jumping] out of an airplane, and you don’t know if you have a parachute on or not,” a sentiment that resonates with Kelce as well, given their shared experiences and candid discussions about the mental toll of their sport with CNBC Make It.
For years, Johnson tackled his anxiety through medication and therapy, a journey Kelce was privy to and supportive of. However, in October 2021, the situation escalated when Johnson took a leave of absence from the Eagles for three games to focus on his mental health and to gradually stop using antidepressants, a period during which Kelce’s support was undoubtedly invaluable.
The period was challenging for Johnson, who described every day as a struggle while dealing with an “internal monster” that grew, particularly after an ankle injury earlier that year. This wasn’t the first time Johnson had to step away from the team, with Kelce’s unwavering support during his suspensions in 2014 and 2016 for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
Now, Johnson speaks from a place of mental resilience, a recovery attributed to better management and understanding of his mental health, emphasizing his commitment to support others facing similar battles. Kelce, too, shares this commitment, both continuing their professional journey with the Eagles with a renewed focus on mental well-being.
Their openness about these struggles isn’t a plea for sympathy but rather a crucial aspect of their identity and journey.
Johnson and Kelce’s early experiences with anxiety, particularly Johnson’s onset during his senior year in high school under the immense pressure of securing a college football scholarship, marked the beginning of a long battle with anxiety, characterized by constant tension and an inability to “turn off” football.
Adding a unique dimension to their preparation routines, Johnson shares that he and Kelce would engage in mental exercises like playing Sudoku or other concentration games before games, aiming to sharpen their focus and cognitive abilities, a testament to their bond and shared understanding of the mental demands of their sport.
