Stephen A. Smith is a well-known sports commentator and host of First Take, where he is often critical of the Dallas Cowboys.
However, in a recent episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, Smith showed a more vulnerable side when discussing the struggles of Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
Stephen A. Smith opens up about his mental health struggles: ‘I wished I was dead’ https://t.co/YZqI6CYpdH pic.twitter.com/2x4zCP8sO5
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 12, 2023
Smith began by acknowledging the increased pressure on Prescott following the team"s 42-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. He mentioned that some people are even questioning Prescott"s future with the franchise.
However, Smith shared a personal anecdote about a friend who urged him to show compassion towards Prescott due to the quarterback"s history with anxiety and depression.
"I felt compelled to adopt that position," Smith said. "That’s not going to stop me from doing my job. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it ain’t a damn mongoose. If you played like garbage, I gotta say you played bad. But there’s a glee and a joyfulness that I take from the Dallas Cowboys stinking up the joint because Dallas Cowboy fans get on my last damn nerves. But I say that in all seriousness out of fun. It’s oxymoronic to use those two words in the same sentence but it’s applicable. As serious as I am, I’m just having fun. It’s sports."
Smith then opened up about his own mental health struggles, which he said were triggered by his mother"s death in 2017.
"You know the scary part, that really really hit me? It was when [Prescott] said it was a couple of days before his brother passed [that he began experiencing depression]," Smith said. "He talked about how when he lost his mom seven years earlier, his brother was having trouble then. If I’m being totally honest, I know the feeling.
"Anybody who knows me know that on June 1, 2017 to be exact, Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers, anybody who knows me knows what that day is. That was the day I lost the greatest woman I’ve ever known. I lost the greatest human being I’ve ever known. And that was Janet Smith, my mother.
"I never thought about killing myself. But for two years, every single day at some moment in time, I wished I was dead. That is how bad my life was without my mother."
There was a time when I wished I was dead. I had to go to therapy. pic.twitter.com/SDmtp5aCLv
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) October 11, 2023
As a single man at the time, Smith felt a profound sense of loss and loneliness.
He described the emotional impact of his mother"s passing, particularly the difficult moment when her casket was lowered into the ground.
"That is when it was over and I felt it was over," Smith said. "And I wanted to die. Because she meant that much to me."
To address his issues, Smith sought therapy, a decision he highlighted as an important step in his healing process.
In discussing his experiences, Smith also shed light on the stigma surrounding mental health, particularly among Black men.
Smith"s revelation was particularly timely, as it coincided with World Mental Health Day, an annual event that aims to raise awareness about mental health issues.
Regardless of one"s opinions on Smith"s commentary or his role in the industry, it is undeniable that part of his appeal lies in his ability to connect with his audience on a personal level.
