Titus Young's destructive saga is no laughing matter

May 14, 2013|By Omar Kelly, Sun Sentinel columnist

The joke started with the radio show host asking "think you've had an awful week?"

The popular morning host of a nationally syndicated show then outlined Titus Young's summer, which includes the former Detroit Lions' second-round pick being released by two NFL teams in the span of 10 days, then arrested three times in a week.

Everyone in the studio laughed at Young's expense. He had become the sports equivalent of popular actress Lindsay Lohan, someone for the nation to mock as we rubber neck their life spiraling out of control.

Yet, nobody found it funny when legendary linebacker Junior Seau, who played for the Chargers, Dolphins and Patriots, committed suicide in 2012 after years of privately battling depression.

That leads me to wonder when exactly will the punch line of Young's tragic turn in life stop being funny? The nightmarish saga this 23-year old is living through should be a reminder to us all that mental health issues are real, and they can, and often do, impact everyone.

Our family member and friends, our community, and even our favorite sports teams and leagues.

"He needs to put the right people around him and get the right treatment plan," said Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall, who reached out to Young last season after Young was initially diagnosed as bipolar.

Nearly two years ago Marshall openly admitted to the world he was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, and since seeking treatment he's counseled dozens of people with mental health issues, and that includes a few professional athletes.

Marshall, the Chicago Bears leading receiver, heard about Young's saga with the Detroit Lions, which sounded too familiar, and wanted to help. But Young wasn't ready. Marshall knew he needed to be patient.

After all, it took Marshall, who played two seasons for the Dolphins, years, numerous clinicians, and tons of drama to get to the root of his problems.

"Mental health in itself is so stigmatized. It's a taboo topic and we need more people to talk about it and not make Titus Young, or people like myself a national punch line," Marshall said. "We need to change the dialogue of this discussion."

Richard Young, Titus' father, told two Detroit newspapers that his son suffers from a mental health disorder and desperately needs help.

Richard said Young had been receiving treatment for months, and was using the antidepressant Seroquel, which is used to treat bipolar disorders and schizophrenia. But the junior Young is apparently in a manic state, which explains why he abandoned Richard at a coffee house and has embarked on a wild escapade that includes Friday's arrest in California for breaking into the home of Bill Plattos, who told Los Angeles-area media that he was loading a gun and was prepared to shoot the intruder.

Most people with bipolar disorder, or manic depression, are diagnosed in their late teens or early 20s, which just so happens to be the lifespan of a professional athletes best years.

The illness Young is battling, which is also known as manic depression, is characterized by moods that soar so high the person has delusions of grandeur, and so low that they suffer some insomnia. Their state of mind is altered and reality gets lost.

That's where Young is, lost, while awaiting arraignment in jail. Considering nobody but himself has been harmed or robbed it is clear he needs treatment more than incarceration.

Young has a road ahead of him similar to Barret Robbins, the former Raiders center best remembered for deserting the team on the eve of the Super Bowl 37, and for later going public about his struggles with mental illness.

Robbins was sentenced to serve five years in prison after a life and death run-in with Miami Beach police on January 15, 2005. Robbins was originally charged with three counts of attempted murder after savagely attacking three police officers.

Robbins told the court he suffered from bi-polar disorder which caused him to experience violent mood swings. In the end, the three counts of attempted murder were reduced to a stint in a treatment program and probation.

Young hasn't harmed anyone yet, but Marshall, and the people who care about him are concerned it might only be a matter of time.

"This isn't about his career. This is about his life," Marshall said. "That's not a laughing matter."

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