RIP Bryce Gowdy

[kg01]

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/bryce-gowdy-georgia-tech-wide-receiver-signee-dies/yk8z1mzm206c1gh2vhcliir15

https://sports.yahoo.com/georgia-tech-recruit-bryce-gowdy-struggled-with-homelessness-mental-health-before-suicide-151046370.html

Quote

Georgia Tech signee Bryce Gowdy died on Monday morning. He was 17.

 

Gowdy, a standout receiver from Deerfield Beach (Fla.), was struck and killed by a freight train at roughly 4 a.m. ET on Monday, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office. The same office ruled his death a suicide on Tuesday. He reportedly was packed and days away from moving to Georgia Tech's campus.

This story has absolutely broken my heart the past few days.  This kid was literally packed and ready to enroll early at GT this month.  But untreated/undiagnosed mental illness in himself and his mom, combined with the resulting instability and financial devastation of his family got to be too much for him.

Had he made it to GT, he would've been completely ok.  All the food he could eat.  A great place to stay.  And a track to a good life for himself.  The problem was he was the head of the household which included younger brothers who he couldn't take with him.  The weight of that, combined with his apparent mental issues, literally broke him.  Kid was 17.

He probably didn't think he could ask the school for help.  If they had helped him, he would've been ineligible - that's "justice" for the NCAA, I guess.  F them, btw.

Just so sad for the young man and that family.  The bigger issue is he's certainly not the only kid in this situation.

[JayBirdHawk]

Sad, sad, sad.

That's why I don't blame some of these families for taking the bag-o-money.  Yeah, it's against the rules but SOME have a real desperate need.

And also why I'm ok when these athletes to leave school early to go to NBA/NFL.

[marco102]

20 hours ago, kg01 said:

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/bryce-gowdy-georgia-tech-wide-receiver-signee-dies/yk8z1mzm206c1gh2vhcliir15

https://sports.yahoo.com/georgia-tech-recruit-bryce-gowdy-struggled-with-homelessness-mental-health-before-suicide-151046370.html

This story has absolutely broken my heart the past few days.  This kid was literally packed and ready to enroll early at GT this month.  But untreated/undiagnosed mental illness in himself and his mom, combined with the resulting instability and financial devastation of his family got to be too much for him.

Had he made it to GT, he would've been completely ok.  All the food he could eat.  A great place to stay.  And a track to a good life for himself.  The problem was he was the head of the household which included younger brothers who he couldn't take with him.  The weight of that, combined with his apparent mental issues, literally broke him.  Kid was 17.

He probably didn't think he could ask the school for help.  If they had helped him, he would've been ineligible - that's "justice" for the NCAA, I guess.  F them, btw.

Just so sad for the young man and that family.  The bigger issue is he's certainly not the only kid in this situation.

We are in a mental health crisis in this country and no one seems to be talking about it.  We have way too many young people committing suicide.  

I try to talk to my kids daily about how they are feeling and letting them know they can talk to me about anything no matter how hard it seems. I also am a big believer in getting counseling.

This is just plain sad though. 17 with his entire life ahead of him.

[turnermx]

1 hour ago, marco102 said:

We are in a mental health crisis in this country and no one seems to be talking about it.  We have way too many young people committing suicide.  

I try to talk to my kids daily about how they are feeling and letting them know they can talk to me about anything no matter how hard it seems. I also am a big believer in getting counseling.

This is just plain sad though. 17 with his entire life ahead of him.

So very sad, same age as my oldest son 

[kg01]

Looks like this young man's tragic story will get the documentary treatment, narrated by Dak Prescott ...

I usually don't/won't partake in anything related to ESPN but I may muster up the courage to watch this just to give it even a small bit of support.  Hope his story gives some other kid(s) the courage to seek help when it becomes clear they need it.

I still get a bit emotional thinking about how helpless this kid must have felt.  Hope even a little bit of good comes from it for his family.