BY: ZACH MCADOO
A few nights ago, I was scrolling through Tik Tok when I found a video showing how Falcons Hayden Hurst went from the Pittsburgh Pirates organization to being a Tight End in the NFL. Me, being the big baseball fan I am, I wondered how that happened. Well, the story is sadder than one would have ever hoped for.
Hurst started his professional career in 2012 when he was drafted in the 17th round of the MLB draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates. He spent two seasons in the Pirates organization when all of a sudden, he couldn’t control his pitches. His family knew that he was in a dark place in his life when he would call them from a dark room, and they noticed how much more he was drinking. He left the Pirates and soon ended up as a walk-on at the University of South Carolina. Hurst said a weight was lifted off his shoulders when he left baseball behind, but the depression, drinking, and drug use stayed with him.
After his first season of football at South Carolina, Hurst tried to end his life. “At that point, I had wanted out. I had fought for so long, and I wanted it to be over… For some reason, I got a second chance at this thing.” Hurst told himself he was going to make the most of this thing. Hurst said that coach Will Muschamp tried to call him but was rejected for four days straight. He added that Muschamp’s support system was crucial, and knowing his coach would be there for him “…really helped save my life.”
Hurst then did anything he could to make himself better at football. After declaring himself for the 2018 NFL Draft after his junior year, he was taken 25th overall by the Baltimore Ravens. After two seasons of sitting behind Mark Andrews on the depth chart, Hurst was traded to the Atlanta Falcons to replace Austin Hooper. To this day, Hurst has not had any drugs or alcohol since January 16, 2016.
Before I get into my thoughts, I want to thank the Hurst family for sharing that story and the Atlanta Falcons for using their platform to get the word out about this. Now I honestly had no idea that Hurst tried to end his life, and I think that is something we can take away from the video. You never know who is going through what. I liked Hurst before I knew all of this. I think he is a great TE.
Now I want him to thrive in the NFL. When he talked with Dak Prescott after the week 2 game, I thought it was awesome seeing how he wanted to work with Dak to help end the stigma. This weekend during the My Cause, My Cleats initiative, Hurst will have his foundation on his cleats. The Hayden Hurst Foundation was founded to help kids with mental health issues. Hopefully, the foundation gets a lot of exposure this week.
The Sports Desk can be reached at editorialtrainwrecksports@gmail.com
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