Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.
The world that today’s college athletes are competing in is not the one many of us grew up with.
In the latest episode of Five with Fry, I talk about the mental and emotional weight college athletes are carrying right now—and how unprepared we are, as coaches, administrators, and fans, to help them manage it.
This episode was sparked by the tragic death by suicide of LSU football player Kyron Lacey. He was expected to be drafted into the NFL this year. He had a future that looked, from the outside, full of potential. But like so many athletes today, he was navigating pressure most people can’t even begin to understand.
Yes, Kyren’s situation included legal challenges. But his death also speaks to something bigger: a system that piles on expectations without offering real support.
“Back in My Day” Doesn’t Apply Anymore
If you’ve ever thought, “Well, when I played, we just toughed it out…” Stop right there.
Let’s talk about the difference between now and then. When many of us were in college, we didn’t have phones glued to our hands, we weren’t on social media 24/7, and no one was sliding into our DMs after a loss to tell us we cost them thousands of dollars in sports bets.
Comparing today’s athletes to earlier generations is like comparing a horse and buggy to a Tesla. It’s not just unfair—it’s meaningless.
Social Media, NIL, and the Pressure Cooker
Today’s athletes are under a microscope. Every move on the field, every missed shot, every tweet. It’s all out there for millions to see and judge in real time.
And let’s not forget NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals. On one hand, it’s a game-changer—athletes finally getting paid. But let’s be honest: these are teenagers and young adults managing contracts, branding, and business relationships before they’ve even figured out how to do laundry consistently.
Add in upcoming revenue-sharing models that assign literal dollar values to players’ performances, and we’ve created a reality where athletes are both performers and products. And they’re supposed to navigate it all without breaking down?
The Dangerous Influence of Sports Betting
One of the most disturbing shifts? Sports betting.
It’s everywhere. And when a team loses or an athlete underperforms, guess who’s in their inbox? Angry gamblers, blaming them for their financial losses. These aren’t just mean comments. Some are threats.
Imagine being 19 and having strangers yell at you online because you missed a free throw.
We Cannot Keep Cutting Mental Health Support
Here’s the bottom line: athletes aren’t just athletes anymore. They’re public figures, business partners, revenue generators, AND they’re still kids and young adults. Kids and young adults who need way more mental health support than they’re currently getting.
If schools are going to keep bringing in more money through NIL and revenue sharing, then they better be putting some of that money into sports psychology and mental health services. Not as an afterthought. As a priority.
We can’t keep asking athletes to carry all this weight and then blame them when they buckle under it.
This conversation matters. If you’re a coach, an administrator, a teammate, or even just a fan, go listen to the episode. We need to stop pretending today’s athletes are “just like we were” and start doing the work to support who they actually are.
🎧 Listen now to Five with Fry wherever you get your podcasts.
