What’s it like as a player when there’s upheaval in the front office the way you guys have had, particularly when it involves a guy you’ve been close with, Neil Olshey?
It’s unfortunate. We’ve had a very stable organization. There’s been a lot of, I don’t know if volatility is the word, throughout the season. It’s difficult at times because you have to answer questions like the questions you’re asking me. Players are kind of asking me what’s going on. As the president of the union I’m supposed to have the answers and sometimes I don’t. So I think that’s when it becomes a little more difficult, but I think the job is the job.
Obviously, Neil being a friend of mine, being someone that has made a great impact on my life and my family’s life, very unfortunate what occurred with that situation.
At the end of the day, we still have a job to do. That’s where oftentimes people forget about the human element of what players have to go through. We’re obviously compensated very well. We have a great life, and we’re happy and thankful for it. But there’s a lot that comes with this life and a lot of things you just kind of have to maneuver through and it’s a part of the job. And you just kind of get used to it. It’s not necessarily normal.
You work for The New York Times. You don’t have to hear about your value, you don’t have to hear about maybe you should be traded to another organization or company. You don’t have to watch it on TV. Your friends, your family, your peers don’t have to watch it on TV. But it’s not the life you chose.
As an athlete you get used to it. That’s the importance of having a solid foundation, a solid supporting cast. And that’s also why we focus so heavily on mental health because there’s a lot of things that come with this sport that people can see — there’s a lot of things that you can’t see.