Bills wide receiver, agent, discuss suicide prevention, teamwork

FORT JOHNSON, La. — The Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Johnson hosted a special suicide awareness training event on March 21.

The event, held at the Bayou Theater, featured Keon Coleman, Buffalo Bills wide receiver, and Paul DeRousselle, sports agent for the National Football League.

The training aimed to raise awareness about the importance of teamwork and support in preventing suicide.

By sharing their experiences and insights, Coleman and DeRousselle, both Louisiana natives, helped to create a sense of community and connection among the audience members.

Christa Zayas, Fort Johnson’s Suicide Prevention Program coordinator, presented questions gathered from the audience to the duo.

“What do you find most effective when your teammates are crashing out under pressure and letting their emotions get the best of them?” one question read.

“I’m crashing out with them,” said Coleman, emphasizing the value of teamwork. “One band, one sound. We can find out the reason a teammate is overwhelmed and upset later, but for the moment, we are there to support them regardless.

“We’ll all crash out together,” Coleman smiled, “let coach figure out how to calm us down.”

The event took a light-hearted turn when audience member Reggie Booth Jr., Home of Heroes Recreation Center supervisory specialist, dared Coleman to call Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills quarterback and front runner for the 2024 NFL’s Most Valuable Player award.

“What’s the over-under?” Coleman asked as he proceeded to dial Allen. “If he answers, I need 50 pushups. I can only lose if he doesn’t answer, but I don’t have to do anything. It’s a one-sided deal.”

To the delight and shock of the crowd, Allen indeed answered Coleman’s call through FaceTime. Allen waved to everyone and proceeded to thank the troops for their service and sacrifice.

“I need my 50 pushups!” Coleman joked at Booth as the crowd laughed. “You lost. See, my quarterback loves me!“

When asked about how teamwork can help suicide prevention, DeRousselle recollected his earlier days as a lawyer.

“I’m an agent professionally, but I practiced law earlier in my career,” DeRousselle said. “It has one of the highest rates of alcoholism and suicide.”

DeRousselle compared his experiences to those Soldiers face. “When dealing with people who are under a lot of pressure and similar situations, teamwork s important. A lot of people feel like they’re alone, misunderstood and overlooked. They feel others won’t understand the pressure and the problems that come with mental health struggles,” DeRousselle said. “When people feel hopeless, they feel lost.”

DeRousselle shared a story with the audience about how suicide affected him personally.

“One of my classmates committed suicide,” DeRousselle said. “The signs were there, but a lot of us were like, ‘He would never do that.’ So, being part of someone’s team or network, you shouldn’t ignore those signs and think, ‘Well this person would never do that,’ but often, the signs are in your face.”

DeRousselle proceeded to give guidance to the audience to help those showing warning signs of suicide.

“If you notice something, try to take them to someplace privately they love and talk to them. People are more willing to open up, as publicly reprimanding someone may push them away.”

Even athletes, he said, struggle with suicide. DeRouselle recalled the story of New England Patriots veteran Junior Seau, who tragically took his life after a long battle with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) — a condition caused by repetitive head trauma that leads to depression.

“Even after football, athletes have a hard time transitioning from playing to being civilians. That closely correlates to Soldiers making the transition out of the Army,” DeRousselle said.

“Having more resources available geared towards arming people with the correct psychological tools can also help,” he said in closing.

For those suffering through a crisis, help is available. If you or someone you know needs help, contact the  988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988  and press 1 for the Military Crisis Line. For additional resources, please visit the Army Suicide Prevention Program webpage at www.armyresilience.army.mil/suicide-prevention.