Herschel Walker to Visit Fort Bragg Soldiers

Herschel Walker, the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner and NFL Star, will be visiting Fort Bragg and Pope Field Friday, Aug. 10.

During Walker's visit he will share his personal story and experience with
mental illness and how he overcame it when it began with some bullying in his childhood.

"We all have certain things that we're suffering from and sometimes I say 'Those challenges we have may be a gift from God to keep you here.' But you also have to go help yourself at some time and going to help yourself is going to get help," said Walker at Camp Lejeune on Thursday.

Walker told the Marines that being unafraid to seek help is another step toward erasing the stigma sometimes associated with mental illness.

The 47-year-old athlete spent 12 seasons as a running back in the NFL, playing for the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants.  He went on to compete in the 1992 Winter Olympics representing the U.S. in the bobsled competition, placing seventh.

Ascend Health Corporation, a TRI-CARE Provider, has an anti-stigma campaign
in partnership with Walker, who is an Ascend Health/Freedom Care spokesman,
to encourage servicemembers to ask for help for mental health and substance
abuse issues. Walker has visited 40 military installations and 13,000
servicemembers, since partnering with Freedom Care in 2008.