A Running Back’s Sprint to Self-Empowerment: Leading a Substance-Free Life with Montee Ball

Just because we’re successful, doesn’t mean we’re immune to struggle. And, unfortunately, sometimes our struggles can chip away at our success without us even realizing it. Two-time All American and former running back for the Denver Broncos Montee Ball joined host Jason Hopcus on Nobody’s Perfect, where he spoke about how his experience with substance abuse became a pivotal moment that changed the course of his career and his life. 

Montee achieved his childhood dream of going pro and playing in the NFL, but struggled with alcoholism as early as high school. His experimentation with alcohol led him to a breaking point that forced him to reflect on a variety of factors that led to his struggles.

Thanks to intensive therapy and conversations with trained clinical professionals, Montee has taken his journey and transformed it into service to others. As a father, author, coach, and clinical outreach manager for Sandstone Care, Montee engages with youth and families by providing them with the proper tools and support on how to live healthier, more honest lives. Montee also discusses the value of empowering teens to help other teens who find themselves in similar situations, gateway drugs like marijuana contributing to growing trends, the effects of poor mental health on young athletes, and more. 

Montee’s discussion with Jason on being a teen today and how we can better support youth struggling with substance abuse can be found in the podcast tab above. You can also tune into Nobody’s Perfect wherever you listen to your podcasts, and don’t forget to follow Nobody’s Perfect on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok, where we post real-time updates and info on all things mental health.