Will Heininger went through a lot at Michigan as a defensive lineman from 2007-11.

He tore an ACL, he went through a coaching change, he battled for playing time and all the while, fought to keep the grades that earned him four Academic All-Big Ten awards.

But Heininger's most intense struggle at Michigan was a bout with something a lot of student-athletes battle on a personal level.

He struggled with depression and mental illness.

Heininger, an Ann Arbor native, continued to raise awareness for the student-athletes who struggle with mental health during an interview with ESPN's "Outside the Lines" this week.

In the story, Heininger details what he went through and how Michigan helped him get through it.

"I had emotional pain that was overwhelming; I would wake up, and from morning until I feel asleep -- when I was able sleep -- I had troubling thoughts that were utterly consuming," Heininger said. "Not a minute would go by in a day, without my depression on my mind … this, this felt impossible.

"I was breaking down; I couldn't keep functioning the way I was without any help. It happened one day after practice, tears were welling in my eyes, and I didn't want to cry in front of my football family. My athletic trainer … saw me and took me aside."

Per the ESPN story, Michigan sent Heininger to work with clinical social worker Barb Hansen.

He has since recovered from his bout with mental illness and depression, but continues to be an advocate for other student-athletes who suffer from the same pain.

Per the Outside the Lines report, suicide was "the third-leading cause of death of student-athletes from 2004-08."

In September, Heininger spoke with an NPR affiliate in Boston about his struggles, and explained how he hopes more awareness of this issue will make it easier for universities to help student-athletes struggling with this.

I hope that in the future that therapy is looked at as something that is a strength and something that is smart to do," he said at the time. "I hope that as a culture and as a society we realize how important mental health is and how much it can prevent some of the tragedies we’ve seen, specifically from an athletic standpoint.

"So, I guess I hope that all athletes will know and have the avenue and have the resources to get better and know that they can get better and know that their lives can return to as good as they were or become better than they ever have been."

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