Newsletter Subject

💬 The Conversation That Sean McVay Will Always Remember

From

foxsports.com

Email Address

reply@email.foxsports.com

Sent On

Thu, Feb 10, 2022 08:35 PM

Email Preheader Text

Rams coach Sean McVay learned about the importance of mental health at a dinner in Mexico last offse

Rams coach Sean McVay learned about the importance of mental health at a dinner in Mexico last offseason. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider with Martin Rogers: Sean McVay recalls an enlightening conversation that made him a better coach ... Deion Sanders talks about developing players, the transfer portal and what’s next for Jackson State ... and more! In January 2021, what would turn out to be the most significant move of the National Football League offseason was starting to swirl. As the Los Angeles Rams pursued a trade for Matthew Stafford and perhaps laid the foundation for a Super Bowl title, a separate conversation was taking place in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Rams coach Sean McVay sat at a dinner table and listened intently, wide-eyed and seeking information. Also present was McVay’s friend, FOX NFL insider Jay Glazer, and Rams offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth, who is now the oldest active NFL player after Tom Brady’s retirement. McVay had invited Glazer to Cabo after the reporter’s recent breakup with a girlfriend. The coach was expecting a lighthearted time, full of carefree laughs, but the talk had taken a different turn when both Glazer and Whitworth started to discuss their ongoing struggles with mental health. At first, McVay couldn’t believe some of the things he was hearing. That when Glazer wakes up every day of his life, there is an omnipresent cloud of sadness that he refers to as "the gray." That Whitworth battles inner demons on a daily basis and has done so for years. [STORY IMAGE 1] That Glazer regularly suffers panic attacks even when speaking on the air during NFL broadcasts but can hide it well enough that only his longtime colleague Howie Long notices something is amiss. That Whitworth is caught in a paradox, because he believes the mental darkness makes him better able to handle the brutality of professional football, but it doesn’t constitute an optimally happy existence. "Sean was sitting there, leaning forward, asking question after question," Glazer told me this week. "He had all the Stafford stuff going on, but it was like he was transfixed by this. He couldn’t believe that it was possible to live with that level of depression and still be able to function. The biggest credit to him is that he is someone who always wants to learn, to understand better, and he’s not too proud to admit when there’s something he knows nothing about." Just hours after the dinner, Stafford, who had been given permission to talk to other teams by the Detroit Lions, arrived at the same resort. He and McVay hit it off instantly. McVay urged the Rams hierarchy to make the trade in exchange for Jared Goff and a rich portfolio of draft capital, and now, a year later, the Rams will take on the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday in Super Bowl LVI. Even in the middle of one of the biggest weeks of his professional life, McVay was able to clearly recall that January talk with Glazer and Whitworth. In a media session Wednesday, he went into detail about how his greater level of understanding about mental health has had a profound impact upon him. [STORY IMAGE 2] No fewer than five Rams players I have spoken to this week highlighted how McVay’s communication skills and level of personal kindness are among his strongest attributes. On Wednesday, I asked the coach about how his thinking on mental health continues to evolve. "No question, I would say a lot," he said. "I think there has been a heightened awareness about this just in general with our public. Having friends like Jay that are so willing to share and create an understanding and an empathy has been really helpful. I have learned a lot. It has made me a better person, a better coach, a better communicator. "What you realize, especially in a leadership role, [is] everybody goes through certain things in their own way. Even though the problems might be different in a lot of instances, they don’t weigh the same. "Just being there, having a good support system of people you can work through problems with, is vital and instrumental. That’s one of the most important things a coach can do is provide support, and the best leaders make people, in any situation they are part of, better." [STORY IMAGE 3] Glazer recently wrote ["Unbreakable,"]( a book that highlights his own journey and some of the techniques he has learned to thrive. His goal, he says, is to break through some of the stigma and shame that those struggling with their mental health often feel. For the task of writing, he went full "method actor," he said, staying off his medications for two months in order to feel the depths of depression more fully, ostensibly so he could explain them in greater detail. "Often, when I am telling the viewers who is in or out and talking about the news, I will be having a conversation with the roommates in my head," he said. "For example, I don’t remember the entire first hour of our Super Bowl Sunday coverage two years ago. I just find a way to make it work. "I see my role in this as being the guy who describes things in a real way. I am not your therapist, your clergy, your teacher. I am just a dude who lives in ‘the gray,’ and I have used it to fuel me instead of cripple me." [STORY IMAGE 4] McVay’s talk with Glazer and Whitworth highlights a significant issue. It can be difficult for those who have not experienced mental illness — or have experienced it only mildly — to understand what those most afflicted are going through. To bridge that gap, to get strong figures such as McVay on board as a supporter and advocate, is critical. McVay lives what some would consider a charmed life. In high school, he was Georgia’s Mr. Football, beating some guy named Calvin Johnson, who apparently was pretty good at making catches. In 2017, McVay became the youngest head coach in NFL history when he was hired by the Rams. His overall record is 55-26. He has reached two Super Bowls. His fiancée is a model. "It is so important to get guys like Sean to understand," Glazer said. "He is a role model, and he has an impactful platform. I want people to realize we are all on the same team here. "For people who are finding things tough, realize that for everything we go through, the scars can be worn as a badge of honor. It is a sign of strength, not a sign of weakness." Order Jay Glazer's book "Unbreakable" at [Amazon]( or [Barnes & Noble](. [STORY IMAGE 5] [IN OTHER WORDS] - Trevor Bayne, who found himself out of a ride after 2018, will make his return behind the wheel this season, [Bob Pockrass writes](. - [Collin Cowherd ranked the 10 best players in Super Bowl LVI]( on Wednesday's edition of "The Herd." - [RJ Young sat down with Coach Prime]( to talk about developing players, the transfer portal and what's next for Jackson State. [VIEWER'S GUIDE] Purdue at Michigan (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET) Jaden Ivey and the No. 3-ranked Purdue Boilermakers travel to Ann Arbor to take on Hunter Dickinson and the Michigan Wolverines. Arizona at Washington State (FS1, 9 p.m. ET) Benedict Mathurin and the No. 4-ranked Arizona Wildcats go up against Michael Flowers and the Washington State Cougars in a Pac-12 clash. Arizona State at Washington (FS1, 11 p.m. ET) Kimani Lawrence and the Arizona State Sun Devils battle Terrell Brown Jr. and the Washington Huskies. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( Super Bowl LVI: Joe Burrow OVER 280.5 Passing Yards From FOX Sports’ Geoff Schwartz: Joe Burrow has only exceeded this number once in his three playoff outings, and it was in the game where he was sacked nine times by the Titans. That seems counterintuitive as sacks should equal fewer opportunities to push the ball down the field. However, being sacked on first or second down just means you have more opportunities to gain yards with longer fields. Negative yards from sacks do not count toward individual passing yards, and this is how Burrow threw for 340 yards while getting sacked nine times. [FOLLOW FOX SPORTS] [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Download FOX Sports App: [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [Google Play]( [App Store]( [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [App Store]( [Google Play]( Also available on these devices: [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] Trademark & Copyright Notice: ™ and © 2022 Fox Media LLC and FOX Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Please do not reply to this message. If you do not wish to receive emails like this in the future, please [unsubscribe](. FOX Sports respects your privacy. Click [here]( to view our Privacy Policy. Fox.com Business & Legal Affairs - Manager Digital Media P.O. Box 900 Beverly Hills, California 90213-0900

Marketing emails from foxsports.com

View More
Sent On

08/11/2024

Sent On

08/11/2024

Sent On

03/11/2024

Sent On

30/10/2024

Sent On

30/10/2024

Sent On

29/10/2024

Email Content Statistics

Subscribe Now

Subject Line Length

Data shows that subject lines with 6 to 10 words generated 21 percent higher open rate.

Subscribe Now

Average in this category

Subscribe Now

Number of Words

The more words in the content, the more time the user will need to spend reading. Get straight to the point with catchy short phrases and interesting photos and graphics.

Subscribe Now

Average in this category

Subscribe Now

Number of Images

More images or large images might cause the email to load slower. Aim for a balance of words and images.

Subscribe Now

Average in this category

Subscribe Now

Time to Read

Longer reading time requires more attention and patience from users. Aim for short phrases and catchy keywords.

Subscribe Now

Average in this category

Subscribe Now

Predicted open rate

Subscribe Now

Spam Score

Spam score is determined by a large number of checks performed on the content of the email. For the best delivery results, it is advised to lower your spam score as much as possible.

Subscribe Now

Flesch reading score

Flesch reading score measures how complex a text is. The lower the score, the more difficult the text is to read. The Flesch readability score uses the average length of your sentences (measured by the number of words) and the average number of syllables per word in an equation to calculate the reading ease. Text with a very high Flesch reading ease score (about 100) is straightforward and easy to read, with short sentences and no words of more than two syllables. Usually, a reading ease score of 60-70 is considered acceptable/normal for web copy.

Subscribe Now

Technologies

What powers this email? Every email we receive is parsed to determine the sending ESP and any additional email technologies used.

Subscribe Now

Email Size (not include images)

Font Used

No. Font Name
Subscribe Now

Copyright © 2019–2025 SimilarMail.