Jets RB Braelon Allen, his former Wisconsin teammate, posted Monday night: "Protect your mental." A stark reminder that the battles we can't see are often the hardest fought.
He made clear football wasn't the root cause — but everything in his life had distracted him from addressing his mental health. "I didn't want to be alive for years," he wrote, before thanking the program for helping him find purpose and build a relationship with God.
In December 2023, Pugh announced his medical retirement with brutal honesty: "Over years of prolonged depression and substance abuse, I decided I deserved a better life and to finally find happiness."
Pugh was a four-star recruit from Ohio who joined Wisconsin in 2021. Interestingly, he didn't play football his first two years of high school — he focused on basketball instead before making the switch.
Former Wisconsin tight end Jack Pugh died at 24, three years after retiring from football to prioritize his mental health. He walked away from the game in 2023 after years of depression and substance abuse, choosing life over the sport.
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Jets RB Braelon Allen, his former Wisconsin teammate, posted Monday night: "Protect your mental." A stark reminder that the battles we can't see are often the hardest fought.
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He made clear football wasn't the root cause — but everything in his life had distracted him from addressing his mental health. "I didn't want to be alive for years," he wrote, before thanking the program for helping him find purpose and build a relationship with God.
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In December 2023, Pugh announced his medical retirement with brutal honesty: "Over years of prolonged depression and substance abuse, I decided I deserved a better life and to finally find happiness."
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His college career was brief: didn't play freshman year, suited up once in 2022, never caught a pass. But the stats don't tell the real story.
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Pugh was a four-star recruit from Ohio who joined Wisconsin in 2021. Interestingly, he didn't play football his first two years of high school — he focused on basketball instead before making the switch.
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Former Wisconsin tight end Jack Pugh died at 24, three years after retiring from football to prioritize his mental health. He walked away from the game in 2023 after years of depression and substance abuse, choosing life over the sport.