Baltimore Ravens Tight End Hayden Hurst Raises $45,000 for Mental Health Awareness

He's tall, he's big, he looks tough and he's struggled with anxiety and depression.

Baltimore Ravens tight end Hayden Hurst wants to help those who are battling mental health issues, and he got a lot of help from his teammates and a local restaurant raising money for his foundation.

Listen to Dawn White's report:

The Pittsburgh Pirates organization drafted Hurst right out of high school.

"Hayden had some really tough challenges when he was playing minor league baseball. He really struggled with anxiety and depression when he got what's called the 'yips' where he couldn't pitch any longer. He couldn't feel the ball in his hand," said Cathy Hurst, Hayden Hurst's mom.

Cathy says her son didn't give up and tried everything to make it work.

"He tried so hard for three years to overcome it on his own and spent a ton of money seeing different doctors and trying different therapies," Cathy Hurst said. "He started journaling, and that was the one thing that gave him some peace."

Hayden Hurst's parents didn't know of his struggles until toward the end of his baseball career when he finally opened up to them.

"I'm the worst person with emotions and talking about things like that. When I reached out for help, it really saved my life," Hurst said. "It was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders, and I was able to open up and tell people about it."

He ended up switching to football, a path that led the Ravens to take him 25th overall in the 2018 NFL draft.

"I think if people can see hey, this guy is in the NFL, and he still struggles with things, and he's able to do what he does, why can't I reach out for help?" Hurst said.

He asked his mother about starting a foundation aimed at mental health and suicide prevention, something close to his family.

An uncle of Hurst's died by suicide. Two years later, that uncle's son did the same.

"There are genes, and I certainly think that's part of it, but everyone can overcome those problems and issues that you have," Cathy Hurst said. "Hayden knows how it feels to lose loved ones. I think that's why he's so compassionate and happy about trying to help these young people realize that life's tough, but just keep working through everything."

Cathy Hurst is vice president of the Hayden Hurst Family Foundation to promote mental health awareness among student-athletes ages 12 to 18.

"What we have done in the city is we've gone to inner-city schools in Baltimore City," Hayden Hurst said. "We've helped talk to kids, and we're providing 81 therapy sessions for 20 students that have signed up. All the funding that our foundation receives goes back out into the community and helps kids get therapy sessions or whatever they made need.

The 81 therapy sessions match the number on Hurst's back both in Baltimore at the University of South Carolina.

The Hursts partnered with BTST Services, or Better Tomorrow Starts Today, to make those sessions happen. CEO Chris Simon said they've picked the 20 kids to participate.

"It starts off with one big group session where we explain what therapy looks like and stuff like that. Then they engage in individual sessions. We develop a treatment plan. After four individual sessions, the kids can decide whether they want to continue with therapy," Simon said.

About 180 people, including teammates tight ends Mark Andrews and Nick Boyle, quarterback Trace McSorley and left guard Bradley Bozeman, came out for Hurst's Pigs and Pinot Noir fundraiser at the Grill at Harryman House in Reisterstown.

"I love one of Hayden's tags, 'It's OK not to be OK,'' said John Worthington, the restaurant's owner. "In that respect, there's people out there struggling every day, and they don't know how to reach out for help. Hopefully, his foundation will help them reach out and find help."

Supporters helped to raise more than $45,000, and the foundation netted $31,000 of that through tickets and a silent auction. The fundraiser also helped to spread the awareness it's OK not to be OK.

"Even Hayden as an NFL player, he is not perfect," Cathy Hurst said. "He has his challenges in life as we all do. You can admit you have a cold and don't feel well, but when it comes to the mind, people are scared. The stigma is there that they feel like they're going to be judged."

The 6-foot-5, 260-pound tight end known as "Garnet Thor," with his long, flowing red hair, is not only remarkable on the field but off the field as well by making an impact in the lives of young people who may be suffering in silence.

"It's just cool looking back on it because I know where I was and how down I was," Hayden Hurst said. "Being able to dig myself out of that and put myself where I am today is kind of remarkable."

Click here for more information on the Hayden Hurst Family Foundation. The foundation has a current fundraiser with Pierre Henry socks as part of the Garnet Thor collection. For more information on that, click here.