Colts Braden Smith in ‘spectacular place’ after mental health struggles

WESTFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — For most NFL players, training camp marks the unofficial start of the season. For Indianapolis Colts offensive lineman Braden Smith, it means much more than that this year.

The eight-year veteran returns to camp healthy — both physically and mentally — the latter of extra importance after facing mental health struggles last season.

“I’m in a spectacular place, honestly,” Smith said. “This is probably the best I’ve felt in a really long time.”

That wasn’t the case about eight months ago — just before Thanksgiving. Smith arrived to the Colts Complex as normal but turned around and left after reaching the parking lot.

“I felt like I had a mental collapse, and I went home, took a nap. My wife thought when I woke up I was going to be in a better spot, but I just wasn’t there,” Smith said. “It was pretty dark, and that’s when we decided as a collective — like, me and my wife — that I needed to get help.”

Smith shared what he was going through with the Colts offensive line the next day and then opted to end his season early and seek help.

He then spent 48 days in a treatment facility where he was diagnosed with religious scrupulosity — a severe form of OCD. It was in Mexico where Smith finally found medication that worked for him.

“I was just trying to be alive this time this year. I wasn’t thinking about anything,” Smith said. “I just wanted to find joy in life, and for a while there, it didn’t feel like I was going to find that again, so just being out here is a plus for me.”

Mental health awareness has always been a key emphasis for the Colts organization, especially through its award-winning initiative Kicking the Stigma. It’s because of that campaign that Smith felt even more comfortable opening up about what he was going through last season.

“I feel very emboldened to be able to talk about it,” Smith said. “The thing I was going through seems very taboo. You seem like you’re kind of going crazy, and you know, I know that other people are going through the same thing so I want them to feel empowered hearing about my story — like, seeing that I came out of the other side of it, and let them know that they’re not going crazy. That this is very normal. That these things happen.”

Smith felt the support from everyone in the Colts organization — from the Irsays to his coaches and teammates — throughout his entire journey.

“The whole team had his back through the whole thing,” head coach Shane Steichen said. “To have him back out here, what he went through, is great. Obviously, the support from the organization and teammates just shows the family that we’ve got here.”

“You take things for granted until those parts are kind of taken away from you, and you don’t realize how good you have it,” Smith said. “Now, I just have that greater appreciation just being able to come out and play football, hang out with the guys. Every day is awesome.”

Back where he belongs. On the right side of the Colts offensive line.

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