Social Support

In the years following his graduation, Hampton dabbled in multiple professions, eventually starting a business with his friend from Burleson, Texas. During this time, he would travel to Victoria, Texas and assist Urban, who was playing in the NFL at the time, with free football camps for children. He would confide in Urban that he had been depressed ever since college, “Every year when I would reconnect with him at the camps he would look more and more defeated and depressed. Despite having a wife and a child on the way he was not in a good place emotionally,”. According to Urban, none of the team was bitter towards Hampton for what happened and his subsequent suspension. However through the years he lost touch with a majority of the members of the team which has far reaching consequences. Due to the total psychological and social immersion in the sports world, athletes’ primary social support system will often be derived from their athletic involvement . In other words, the vast majority of their friends, acquaintances, and other associations are found in the sports environment and their social activities revolve primarily around their athletic life. Once the rich and vast social ties of the Trinity football team became few and far between, Hampton seemed to feel alone in the world. The depression he experienced is not uncommon. It is typical for a person who lacks access to strong, functional social networks to develop negative side effects and those maintaining these bonds benefit greatly. For instance, in contrast to low social support, high levels appear to somewhat effectively protect against the full impact of mental and physical illness. The relationship between good social support and superior mental and physical health has been seen in diverse populations, including college students, unemployed workers, new mothers, widows, and parents of children with serious medical illnesses. Strong social support has been shown to be an important factor in decreasing functional impairment in patients with depression and in increasing the likelihood of recovery. Social support is able to moderate genetic and environmental vulnerabilities for mental illness, possibly by effects through psychosocial factors, such as fostering effective coping strategies, and through effects on multiple neurobiological factors. When Hampton was forced to retire from the football team, the subsequent loss of the immense social support was a harsh reality to be thrust into.  As he progressed through the years without the psychological and emotional benefits derived from being a member of the football team, despite periods of sobriety, his depression continued. The stressors of real life began to consume him and he turned to drugs as a form of coping.