'I'm Not Ashamed': Eagles Player On Leaving Game Due To Anxiety

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Brandon Brooks made one thing clear: he's not ashamed to talk about the issues he's trying to overcome.

The brave and very honest guard for the Birds started the game, but was unable to remain in due to bouts of anxiety that would not dissipate.

Brooks started Sunday's game for the Eagles, which they lost 17-9 to the Seattle Seahawks. He went through what he called his "typical routine" of morning vomiting beforehand, but it did not go away as it usually does as game time approached.

"The nausea came back, and I tried to battle through, it," Brooks wrote on Twitter. "(I) tried everything I could to get back for teammates but just wasn't able to do it."

Brooks said this has been an ongoing issue he's battled for years, and says that he's had it under control, describing Sunday as simply a setback.

Even more notably, as a professional in an incredibly high-pressure environment where it is not common for athletes to openly discuss issues of mental health, Brooks did not mince words.

"Make no mistake I'm NOT ashamed or embarrassed by this nor what I go through daily," he added. "The only thing I'm upset about is that when my team needed me, I wasn't able to be out there with and for them."

His openness was appreciated by fans who were both concerned for his well-being and inspired by his ability to speak so frankly about this type of issue.

We love and support you. Thank you for being so open about your anxiety, it helps so many people more than you could ever know.
— Carly (@nuclearcarly) November" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/nuclearcar... 25, 2019

Brandon Brooks is probably the best player at his position in the entire world. The best. If you needed any more proof that things like anxiety (or depression, or mental health issues in general) can literally affect anyone and shouldn't be stigmatized, there it is.
— Charlie O'Connor (@charlieo_conn) November 25, 2019

Some noted that Brooks would inspire others dealing with anxiety, while others pointed to it as an important reminder that anxiety is not a form of weakness; even the greatest athletes in the world can suffer from it.

Brooks is a former first team Pro Bowler and, of course, a member of the Eagles Super Bowl championship squad in 2018.

The Eagles are back in action next week when they travel to Miami to take on the Dolphins.