ITHACA, Mich. — Logan Hessbrook was a standout football player at Ithaca high school, graduating in 2014 as a three-time state champion.
He then went on to play Division-1 football at Central Michigan University.
Now, he's using his platform to let others know it's okay to not be okay when it comes to their mental health.
"Unfortunately, mental health doesn't discriminate," Hessbrook said.
For the past five years, 24-year-old Hessbrook admits he's dealt with depression, anxiety and other mental health illnesses.
As someone who has been a role model for younger athletes in his community, it hasn't been easy.
"These kids look up to you like there's nothing wrong with this person's life," he continued. "It's the same thing in the community. Even adults are like, 'Wow, that kid has so much going for him.'"
SEE MORE: Data shows increased need for mental health services in Michigan
On Friday, Hessbrook put out a four-minute video on Faceboook about his struggles with mental health and letting others know that he understands and is there for anybody who needs it.
"I don't want to see anyone else hurt," Hessbrook told FOX 17. "I've been up and down, even throughout this fall too, so I was like you know what, enough is enough."
The video has now been seen by thousands of people and Hessbrook says he's still receiving messages from people about it.
"I don't want the video to just get a lot of public view, I want it to have a purpose. To know it's been out since Friday, and the amount of people that have reached out to me and commented on the post, I didn't even know were going through those struggles."
For someone like Hessbrook who has an amazing support system, felt great physically, and was playing football at a high level, he's a prime example of how you never know what someone is going through.
"You can have everything going for you and you absolutely know you do but for some reason, you don't want to leave your house or you don't want to talk to anyone."
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Hessbrook has been going to counseling and taking medicine for years and now encourages others to educate themselves about the stigma of mental health.
"The more educated I became on mental health, the more I talked to other people who have gone through the same type of things. Knowledge is power, that's not just in education, it's education about yourself."
This fall, Hessbrook will be coaching the wide receivers this fall at Ithaca High School, his alma mater, where his brother was just named the head coach last month.
SEE MORE: Managing mental health: Here is a list of Michigan mental health resources
