By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor/Sports Director
greer@wktv.org
AND
By Deborah Reed
WKTV Managing Editor

Former Detroit Lions quarterback Eric Hipple has certainly experienced the highs and lows that life brings.

From playing in the NFL for 10 years to experiencing the tragedy of his son taking his life as a teenager, it has been a roller coaster ride for Hipple.

WKTV recently sat down with the former NFL quarterback for a Soundbites TV show to dig into his life and learn what now makes him tick many years away from the sport.

An unbelievable start

During his career, Hipple passed for over 10,000 yards with 55 touchdowns. His memorable start was back in 1981 against the Chicago Bears for a Monday Night Football game. He threw four touchdown passes and ran for two more in a big win over those Bears in an unbelievable start.

“It was a huge night,” Hipple remembers. “We had gone through the starting quarterback who had broken his hand and the backup quarterback played two games and just stunk it up really bad and they gave me my opportunity and they gave me the start.

“It’s a long day because in your head you’re going over and over and over what the first play is going to be, which is a pass play. You think of all the things that could possibly happen. When I finally got underneath the center and looked at the defense and recognized what they’re doing, and it’s going to be a pass, and I completed the first pass. It’s like a 40-yard bomb … the place just erupted. I came off the ground about three feet, just floated. I don’t think I came back down until the game ended.

“Everything just went right. We practiced really hard, we had a really good game plan. When the game was over it was like I had a hard time remembering playing, but it was fantastic. Kind of a big blur, but it’s also exciting, incredible.”

An insider’s look

The life of an NFL player, Hipple admits, looks a lot different now than it did when he was in the League.

“It’s a lot different back then than it is today. The way they practice, even the way that players are treated because of the money issue. Back then you didn’t make a whole lot.

“Getting there, 140 guys come to camp and only 45 make the team. You made the team through attrition, really. You outlast everybody. They are carrying three quarterbacks, and I was the third one. You’re there and watch everybody else and get ready to go into this season, and your eyes are wide open. I was the holder for Eddie Murray, so I got to go on the field at least every game, and it was just a great experience.”

And training camp, Hipple says, was not easy.

“You’re throwing the ball twice a day for six weeks or whatever it is, and you’re hitting twice a day. It’s exhausting. And when we had our training camp, we were at Oakland University where there’s no air conditioning in the dorms, cinderblock buildings … and it was hot and hard and long. But I actually think that made us a little better because we were used to feeling uncomfortable.”

The comfort of structure

Because football is such an eyes-on sport, Hipple continues, the players feel pressure to do everything perfectly. Simultaneously, many things were taken care of for the players so they didn’t have to worry about anything but football.

“They don’t want you to think about anything except for football. Your support system is the bus. When you get to the hotel, the keys are laid out on the table for you, you don’t have to talk to anyone. The whole structure of that, from practice to training camp, to games and the travel, it’s all like clockwork. It’s down to the minute. It reminds me of military stuff. Very supportive and very strict and oriented that way, which is great because it gives you a lot of support. Plenty of people to turn to – the training staff and coaches.

“The travel wasn’t so much going there and back, you are away from home and it is a little different, but you’re inside the bubble and the rest of the world doesn’t exist. The team is there and you know that, and so you just don’t think about it.”

The day it all began

The draft also was much different during Hipple’s time in the League, in large part because it was not televised. In 1980, Hipple remembers sitting in a 10-foot by 15-foot trailer waiting for the phone to ring and not having any idea what was going to happen.

“The one thing is, the Detroit Lions had never talked to me. It was the Rams, it was the Cardinals, it was New York. And I went to all those places beyond the combine to get tested out and everything. So I was expecting one of those teams.”

Hipple ended up the 85th overall pick in the fourth round of the draft.

“I ended up going the first pick in the fourth round. When the third round was ending up, I got a phone call. I picked it up and this guy goes, ‘Eric, this is Monte Clark, and we’re going to take you. You’ll be the first pick in the fourth round. We’re going to take you next pick.’

“I remember hanging the phone up and then this explosion, ‘YEAHHHHH, you’re there, you’re in it!’ But that’s just a piece of it because, as I said, when there’s not a lot of money that could be dished out amongst different players, when you’re in training camp you’re replaceable. That means you’ve got to work hard to get it; you have to do all the right stuff to make the team.”

The realization that he was expendable, Hipple continues, was always in the back of his head.

A life defined

Though he sustained several injuries throughout his 10-year NFL career, Hipple says he would do it all again.

“There’s so many positive things about playing. Working within the teamwork. If we don’t work hard, we don’t learn, and there are consequences because there are wins and losses. But that doesn’t mean you give up; you just try harder. So there’s so many positive things about it. It’s defined my life, and so I would [do it again].

“But there are a lot of things I probably would have done differently on a personal level. But you don’t know that until you’re there in that bubble. Once you’re in it, it is kind of an amazing place to be. That’s why when the time comes, when you’re outside the bubble, it’s a very tough adjustment.”

Concussions treated much differently these days

One football injury involved Hipple’s helmet getting knocked off during a game. When he shows that clip to present-day youth, their reaction is far different than that of older generations.

“It’s been about 15 years now since head injuries have really gotten into focus,” Hipple says. “Before that they didn’t count. You got concussed, it didn’t matter unless you’re flat on the field knocked out or something. Other than that, it wasn’t really a thing. In fact, guys actually wore it like a badge of honor.

“I’ll take that clip where I get my helmet knocked off in a game, and start playing it for groups, ages that would know me a little bit younger or my age because they knew what it was like back then. There’s a part in that clip that the announcers are saying, ‘Ohh, a great clean shot, knocked his helmet clean off,’ and I think it’s funny, and the announcers and people my age will laugh. But I talk to youth, high school and down, and they don’t know what that was like back then. In fact, they’ve been taught that a head injury is really, really bad, and for good reasons. So when they see that clip, they’re like, ‘UUGGGHHH, that’s horrible.’ That’s how it was back then. They made football follies out of those things.”

A traumatic transition

The ups and downs on the football field followed Hipple into his personal life as the NFL star battled depression during and after his football career.

“When I play, resilience to me was never a mental thing. It was, you get hit, you get back up again,” Hipple explained. “That’s what you do. It was always around the realm of physical.”

That physical resilience was evident as Hipple continually walked back onto the field after injuries such as a broken hand and broken ankles. When Hipple was cut from the team, however, his mental health took a hit – and he wasn’t sure how to recover.

“When I got cut it was like, what do you do now? I’ve been a football player since nine years old, and all of a sudden you can’t go back in, you can’t go hang out. You walk out the door and it shuts, and a couple things happen. One, is you realize that you always think you’re important. But the team goes on without you. The other part is, you’re so used that structure … and there’s a support system around you that’s gone. So what do you do?

“Also, you’re stressing because nobody back then could actually retire from the winnings. So you have to get a job and start focusing on that.”

Hipple dove into his new life by starting his own business. Six years later, the business was thriving, but Hipple was not.

Wrestling with life

“It’s about six years when all of a sudden all that stuff really hit and settled in. Is this all there is? It’s my identity now, and it’s insurance.”

Hipple wrestled with his new identity, while also missing the thrill of being on the field and playing the game he loved.

“I kind of lost my self-confidence, kind of felt like an imposter. I’d go to a dealership and want to talk insurance, sell it to them, and…it would be like, ‘Is this me? Really? Is this my identity?’ And they would give [me] funny looks too, like, ‘Didn’t you play football for 10 years? What are you doing here?’

“I started getting depressed and started to devolve.”

Though Hipple is now able to identify what he went through as depression, at the time he was confused about why he felt the way he did.

“I didn’t know what was going on with me. So I just kept going along, started self-medicating a little bit and then started getting more where it wasn’t going to work as much, and eventually ended up jumping out of a car that was going 75 miles an hour.”

That impulsive decision was born from thoughts that had tormented him for years.

“I’m not worthy. I’m not good enough for this family, they’ll be better off without me, and they can have insurance. Things that you never would think about when you’re healthy. And so it ended with me jumping out of the car and waking up in the hospital – not dead, thank goodness – but certainly scraped up.”

However, once Hipple recovered from his injuries, he “put the blinders back on,” never receiving help for his depression.

A life-changing tragedy

Those blinders were ripped away when his son Jeff entered his own battle with depression, eventually taking his own life at age fifteen.

“That’s when I really realized the seriousness of mental health. It’s not right, his death, and I realized: this could have been me. I could have died when I jumped. I will never do that again because I know what it feels like to be left behind, and it’s painful when you lose somebody to suicide – a family member especially. It’s so painful. So I took that off the table.”

But what Hipple did not take off the table was self-medicating. Craving an escape from the pain, Hipple continued drinking heavily and taking various medications. It finally caught up to him in the form of a DUI and 90-day jail stay. But those 90 days changed his life.

“I came out with a mission, which was to learn. I wanted to learn what happened not only to me, but to my mom, to Jeff, to anybody else who is suffering from this thing.”

A mission of hope

Hipple went to the University of Michigan Eisenberg Family Depression Center for treatment. It was there that he learned the science behind how depression works and medications that can help. It wasn’t long before the university invited him to develop programs as an outreach coordinator.

“That was my track for quite a while. I just wanted to inform people that there was treatment out there, you don’t have to go through what I went through.”

Though Hipple saw value in his treatment-oriented work, his reach only extended to those who were suffering. As suicide prevention and depression awareness increased, Hipple wanted to do more.

“All the stuff that we try and do mentally to keep us healthy, a lot of people don’t know what they are. Let’s talk about those. I can talk to everybody in the room, not just those that are suffering.”

Awareness of his own struggle with depression after leaving the NFL inspired Hipple to help fellow retired football players.

Hipple said research shows that 100% of former NFL players struggled with the transition into a new life after the NFL, experiencing a “down time” and even clinical depression right after retirement, or even years later.

“There was really nothing for anybody once you leave the door. NFLPA was kind of in its infancy. One of the things I wanted to get done was, we should start getting these guys, start educating them and treating them. So we did a program with the NFLPA at the university…and I was finding them help.”

Hipple found that engaging the former players through human connections and a form of teamwork made a positive impact on their mental health.

“When you’re ostracized, when you’re removed, when people ignore you, when they turn their back on you, it’s very painful. We started building little programs, eventually doing a 30-day stage for guys who are suffering.

“The feedback was fantastic from guys who we interacted with. It’s almost an eye-opening experience like what I had. ‘You mean this transition could cause psychological issues?’ Being rejected, your support system, duties changed, the relationships have all changed, all that stuff – I mean that’s traumatic, that’s a big change, and so it’s going to affect you.”

A heart for youth … enter ‘be nice’

While Hipple has done extensive work in the mental health field for the University of Michigan Depression Center, as an ambassador for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, and as a board officer for VetLife Foundation, his heart lies with high school youth. Though there are many mental health programs available to youth, Hipple was drawn to the Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan’s be nice. program because it is a student-driven program.

“You need to have professionals involved, but you also need to have people from the trenches. That’s what I love about be nice – it’s a student-driven program.”

“Things be nice is doing are simple, they’re the place where I want to be, all the things I thought were lacking about other programs. It’s hands-on, and it’s them, and to me that’s the best in the world.”

Now an outreach specialist for be nice, Hipple enjoys going into schools and listening to what youth say they need in their school and what they are not receiving from the world around them.

Over time, Hipple has seen a decrease in mental illness stigma within the schools.

“For students, the stigma has really lowered because they know the terminology, they talk about it, they’re much more open with their feelings. There’s still groups that get trapped and get ostracized or get pushed back or rejected, and that’s tough. So we start opening up be nice – notice, invite, challenge and empower. If you can do that, then you’re taking away that ostracizing moment and putting people together – because being connected is really important.

“One of the reasons why we did the peer-to-peer thing was to connect with somebody so they feel connected, and they’re not removed and spiraling down and all these negative things happen.”

Through be nice, Hipple also is working to connect with all athletes and coaches in Michigan with training formed in collaboration with the MHSAA. Hipple said the response from coaches has been positive because they realize their team will be strengthened through that training.

“More coordinated and understanding, each other plays harder for each other because they’re being real now. They are going to be better advocates in the schools too, and connected to the understanding.”

While Hipple will lead some of the training for coaches, several other people have come on board to help with training and presentations.

Real Men Do Cry

In 2008, Hipple published his book, Real Men Do Cry. In that book, Hipple shares his story of tragedy and triumph with unflinching honesty. Real Men Do Cry also features practical resources for families living with depression, providing information on symptoms of depression and suicide risk, as well as ways to ask for help if you or someone you love are exhibiting those symptoms.

Hipple hopes that anyone who reads his book or attends his speaking presentations walk away with an understanding that taking care of your mental health is vital for many reasons.

“The best gift you can give another person is your own mental health. That means you’re taking care of yourself. You understand your emotional content, but you also understand that you’re not going to have everything beautiful and great, and how you manage to navigate through those things. But if I can do that, that means I can be available then to a friend of suffering or to a spouse or even a stranger because I can be more in tune and connected, because I can better feel what they’re going through because I understand it and I might know the mechanisms behind it.

“I will now have the confidence to actually go up to somebody and say, ‘Do you need some help?’ or ‘Are you okay?’ There’s nothing they could tell me that’s going to scare me. It might be alarming, but I will know what to do; I’m armed with resources.”

Connection, Hipple continued, is also important.

“Being connected is really important because when we’re alone, that’s when the highest suicide rates are.”

Hipple said that it is essential that one of those connections is a person who understands mental health and the importance of being mentally healthy, thinking positively and having a growth mindset.

“I can make a mistake, but still come back from it. I can learn from it, I can grow. I can understand the different stresses that are out there and navigate through most of them. I can be productive.”

“Suicide prevention requires somebody to intervene, and the reason that people don’t intervene is because they’re afraid of the answer. If I ask you, ‘Are you thinking about suicide?’ and then you say, ‘Yes,’ then what do I do?”

Individuals who are mentally healthy can ask those questions confidently because they can offer hope in the form of resources that suffering individual can utilize.

Hipple went on to say that each tragedy and triumph throughout his life has molded him into who he is today.

“I feel really good about where I’m at right now, and I couldn’t have gotten here without going through all that.”