VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Shea Emry was once voted by his peers as the CFL’s Nastiest Player.

Now the Richmond-born player — who retired yesterday — is focusing his time on tackling men’s health issues, rather than opposing QBs.

The 29-year-old former linebacker has worked as Bell’s Let’s Talk Day ambassador since 2012 and champion of Movember Canada’s Men’s Mental Health campaign. Parts of that work stems directly from his own battle during an eight-year career.

Emry has suffered in silence and seen teammates do the same.

“My own personal story was the fact that I did suffer in silence. I didn’t tell anyone and that made it even worse,” says Emry.

But after seeing teammates go through the same thing, Emry founded Wellman, an organization that aims to improve the physical and mental well-being of men through a variety of channels, including “soulful excursions.”

He says it’s something that is more necessary than ever because we live in a culture of expressional silence.

“My old teammate was injured for the remainder of the season and I recognized that it could have been a pretty difficult time for him. I said ‘Hey bud, I’m here to listen, to talk.’ He ended up declining because he didn’t want to be perceived as weak. He went home and put his wife in the ICU,” says Emry, who now takes that story on cross-country speaking tours.

His organization’s goal is to improve physical and mental wellbeing, putting an end to that culture of silence.

Emry calls it a new era of innovative men’s health advocacy.