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Colts owner Jim Irsay talks about mental health, his NFL journey with 'Pat McAfee Show'

Indianapolis Star - 5/4/2021

Pat McAfee and Pat McAfee Show cohost AJ Hawk sat down for a conversation with Colts owner Jim Irsay about mental health, football and Irsay's 50-year journey through the NFL.

The Irsay family's Kicking the Stigma initiative officially welcomed May as Mental Health Awareness Month. The initiative, which began Monday evening, aims to raise awareness about mental health disorders and remove the shame and stigma associated with mental health issues.

When asked what made him want to start the campaign, Irsay said he wanted to make it easier for people who are struggling to get help.

More: Jim Irsay gives IU Health Foundation$1 million for substance use treatment

"Mental illness and all that surrounds it is so important in this country and this world at this point we need an outreach to help," Irsay explained. "When you think about how hard it is to overcome a physical illness... imagine if that person feels guilty because they have the disease, is afraid to seek help, and feels they won't get help from their insurance company... all these things make it so difficult for people to get well. We just want to help make it easier."

The campaign will continue until May 6, and the Irsay family and Colts GM Chris Ballard are both major contributors. Athletes from around the NFL, including Darius Leonard and Darren Waller, have joined the initiative and a number of items from several Colts legends will be auctioned off.

Before they dived into the Kicking the Stigma initiative, Irsay talked about his half-century long journey through the NFL.

More: Colts owner Jim Irsay refuses to let this fan's 300-game streak be snapped

His father, Robert Irsay, bought the then Baltimore Colts when Jim Irsay was young. As an 11-year-old Irsay was making $5 a week picking up jockstraps from the locker room floor. He went from that to team owner at 35.

Irsay said he is grateful and blessed to be able to see the current state of the NFL, especially since it was just announced that the league's deal with Amazon will start a year sooner than expected, in 2022, but he passes down some wisdom that was passed down to him as well.

"Take care of the game and don't reach for every dollar you can," Irsay said. "Make sure the game is treated the right way and the fans are taken care of. Because that is all you will have in the end."

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts owner Jim Irsay talks about mental health, his NFL journey with 'Pat McAfee Show'

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