Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of suicide and mental health struggles. If you or someone you know needs help, contact the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 (U.S.).Rise. Fall. Recovery. Purpose After Sport.

In this powerful episode of the Peak Sports Psychiatry Podcast, Dr. Mark Allen and Dr. Tommy Horn sit down with Montee Ball — former Denver Bronco, Wisconsin Badgers legend, Heisman finalist, and College Football Hall of Fame inductee — for one of the most honest conversations we’ve ever had on the show.

Montee shares his full story, including the parts rarely discussed publicly:

• The pressure and flow state of elite performance

• Identity loss when the game ends

• Alcohol use, denial, and hitting rock bottom

• Legal consequences, accountability, and treatment

• Recovery, fatherhood, and rebuilding a life rooted in service

This episode goes far beyond football. It’s about what happens after the cheering stops — and how athletes, especially young athletes, can be supported before they reach a breaking point.

Montee also discusses:

• His recovery journey and 10+ years of sobriety

• Fatherhood and how becoming a dad changed everything

• His work in mental health advocacy and community service

• Launching the Game Plan Life Foundation to bridge athletes with mental health resources

Dr. Allen and Dr. Horn explore the mental health landscape in college and professional sports, stigma in locker rooms, why performance and mental health are inseparable, and how earlier intervention could change outcomes for countless athletes.

This is a conversation about accountability, resilience, second chances — and turning pain into purpose.
📌 Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of sports, mental health, and performance

Presented by 43 Degree Sports
Changing the game in athlete hygiene with temperature-controlled technology trusted by pros and parents across North America.