Ethan Tucky, former outside linebacker (OLB) of Cincinnati Bearcats football, now leads a more critical initiative off the field – mental health.
After completing a successful college career at the University of Cincinnati with seven and a half sacks, Tucky recently started a video series titled “Take 5” about normalizing and tackling mental health for five minutes a day.
Tucky’s ongoing video series results from finding purpose in difficult times in life and sharing those challenging experiences. Bucky’s audience is only meant to help one person.
“I grew up in a small town in the US in the middle of Ohio, so that’s where my work ethic is,” he said. “I grew up saving hay and helping farms.”
Tucky hasn’t always been the physically dominant pass rusher the soccer field sees. He became interested in the training because of the constant bullying he received in middle school.
After struggling to understand mental health in high school, Tucky had a sudden “reality check” when he initially fell short of expectations at Boston College, where he played soccer, before breaking out in Cincinnati.
“There is a lot more in life that I have to work on. I cannot present myself and I have all of my self-worth in my game on the field,” he said. “After I transferred and hit rock bottom, it was like that [time to] Start working and discover who I am and who I want to be. “
When the quarantine took away any distraction from Tucky and the rest of the world about a year ago, he found he had just scratched the surface of his mental health, and the idea of his current series hit him.
“I train on design, but I have the same problems as you. I don’t want anyone to feel isolated,” said Tucky of the stereotype of male role models showing no weakness. Tucky is strongly against the impression that strong men have to be impenetrable.
Ethan Tucky and University of Cincinnati soccer head coach Luke Fickell celebrate a win.
“I believe the strongest men are the ones who can admit their weaknesses and failures and grow from them,” said Tucky. He points to his grandfather, uncle, and father who represent his view of a strong man.
Bucky’s initiative isn’t about him; He knows that other people need to focus on mental health, which is why he wants to face the challenges ahead of time and grow out of them together. Tucky tries to bring people together to avoid people being ashamed or carrying too much weight on their own.
“I think it’s a new idea and anything new will take time to adjust and people will feel uncomfortable discussing it,” Tucky said. “It’s okay to open up and have feelings”
“It’s all about time,” he continued. “Time is the only thing you can’t get back. If you break down where you spend your time, you can see what you value, and when you see what you value, you can see your why and at the end of The Day Where you’re why is the reason you wake up in the morning. “
Tucky said his college mental health experience was comparatively night and day at UC, noting that UC’s sports division put the extra care into mental health care.
He finally hopes to find a one-stop shop for psychological counseling, an application with videos of motivation and lessons for the day to help alleviate anxiety and depression from real people sharing real stories.
Tucky realizes that he doesn’t have all the answers himself and hopes to only help one person who is feeling isolated to realize that they are not alone.
As Tucky prepares for the upcoming NFL draft, he notes the team component at UC and the bondage from the COVID-19 pandemic as aspects he will cherish forever.
During the pandemic-ridden season, Tucky said, “Everyone really played for each other and I think that separated us from a lot of teams and why we did so well. We really took care of the guy next to you. “
When Tucky leaves UC football with a remarkable senior class, he assures that the Bearcat community is in good hands because of the culture and leadership that head coach Luke Fickell and his staff have built.
After a three-year career at UC with 36 solo tackles and five blocked punts as an external linebacker, Tucky has upgraded his stock draft where others are not.
Tucky can confidently say he’s one of the few linebackers who can efficiently snap long, the offensive lineman position that pushes the ball between their legs to the placeholder so a field goal can be kicked, or the punter who drives up the field becomes.
He notes that the hardest part in preparing any draft is leaving your team and becoming your own business. However, this has allowed Tucky more self-discovery, which he believes is the best preparation.
Bucky’s series will soon be expanded to attract guests for interviews in which they tell their stories. You can find updates and new posts on his series on his Twitter page.
Comments are closed.