IU WR D.J. Matthews opens up on importance of mental health: 'It starts by talking.'

BLOOMINGTON — D.J. Matthews is asked why.

He is sitting at a table in Memorial Stadium’s Henke Hall of Champions. Not far from where he is sitting, is the field. That’s where Matthews does special things. Against Illinois this season, He caught a touchdown and was later a key part of IU's game-winning drive. Against Idaho, he made a diving catch and later caught a touchdown. In the first two games this season, Matthews has 10 receptions for 160 yards and two touchdowns.

But numbers are numbers. There is more to the world than that. Matthews’ story has been told before. He played three seasons at Florida State. He sat out the 2020 season. He was a spark for IU last season, before tearing his ACL in the fourth game. After surgery, Matthews said he was “heading into a depressing stage.” But his children and family kept him out of it. He returned for another season at IU, a decision made in part because he wanted to set an example for his children.

We know this because Matthews has talked about it.

When speaking with the media, he is open and willing to share, introspective and insightful. Not just football stuff, but also life stuff. So now Matthews is sitting at a table at Memorial Stadium’s Henke Hall of Champions. He is asked a question regarding his willingness to share about his life.

The question is simple yet complicated.

Why?

“I guess I just want to deliver the message, who I am,” Matthews said. “It’s just me, just my story. And I know it’s people who go through way deeper stuff than me.... And, you know, I just want to be an outlet to people that — you can do whatever... You can be whatever that you want to be. And then (there's) a lot of people out here to help you. You're not alone. Like nobody’s alone. I just like to dish my story, what I go through. I like to put that out for people, so they just know that (there's) people out here going through it with you. And you can overcome anything.”

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There were certain principles, Matthews said, he was raised on. He said his grandmother “pretty much taught me everything I know.” Loyalty. Be humble. Be genuine. Respect how you want to be respected. Love how you want to be loved. Treat others how you want to be treated. His parents were influential, too.

“I love his heart,” IU coach Tom Allen said. “I love his passion for what he does and his family and what he's been called to do. To me, it's just trying to help him continue to grow because things are never easy and throughout life and just trying to help him maneuver through that and guide and direct him. And he's one of those that wants that. He has been great for me to be able to spend a lot of time with because he's really appreciative of that and wants it. I just love who he is as a man.”

Matthews was a highly-touted recruit in high school. He had a dream: go to the NFL and try to do so after just three college seasons. His freshman season was back in 2017. But only once in his three seasons at FSU did the Seminoles have a winning record. There was a carousel of coaches. In each of those three seasons in Tallahassee, Matthews never was the team’s leader in receiving yards. He was frustrated. It sent him into a “deep place,” he said. At times, he had doubts.

“I was thinking to myself — am I not doing the right things?”

“Am I coachable?”

“Am I not making enough plays?”

Recently, there seems to have been an increased dialogue surrounding mental health. Seemingly, too, the mental health of athletes.

“Mental health is big,” Matthews said. “I actually went through it — sophomore, junior year. And it gave me Alopecia and all. I was losing my hair and all of that. So I understand about the mental health part. You know, people just have to find different ways to cope. And then it starts by talking. You can’t hold all of that stuff in. It’s just going to build up, toxic, negative thoughts. And that’s just not something that you want inside you. You want to be able to talk to people... You just don’t want to be, you know, so crammed up with all of those thoughts and stuff and it’s not allowing you to be a good person, pursue your dreams or career.”

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana football: D.J. Matthews candid about mental health, depression