Green Bay Packers fans are some of the most loving and supportive fan bases in the entire NFL. The small nit community is home to some of the most passionate fans in the NFL. That passion can sometimes turn to frustration (as it does with any professional sports fan base). One former player received a lot of criticism from Packers fans during his time in Green Bay. While some of it may have been justified, solely by his play on the field, many fans forget the mental health effects injuries can have on a player. One former player spoke up today regarding his mental health battle.
Former Green Bay Packers Cornerback Kevin King Opens Up
According to Wilton Jackson of Sports Illustrated:
Former Green Bay Packers cornerback Kevin King announced that he tore his Achilles tendon while training to get himself in shape to return for the 2023 NFL season.
King, who was selected at No. 33 in the second round of the ’17 NFL draft, elected to not play in the ’22 season, citing that he needed a break from the mental strain of injuries he faced throughout his career. The 28-year-old suffered a left shoulder injury during his rookie season that required him to undergo surgery to repair a torn labrum. In ’18, King suffered a hamstring injury that required him to miss games and later be placed on injured reserve.
In a YouTube video that was released on Friday, the 28-year-old said he missed being on the field for Green Bay but that he wished there was more discussion about the mental effects of injuries to athletes.
In the video Kevin King states:
“After my fifth year with the Packers I was actually pretty healthy,” King said in the video. “It was a time when I felt pretty good for the first time in a while. My first four years I had a surgery after every year, so I didn’t have too much of a chance to have an offseason. … They don’t really talk about the wear and tear on you mentally that it does, dealing with injuries.”
Even with the injuries, King calls his five years in Green Bay “some of the best times in my life.”
During the 2019 season, Kevin King played in 15 games while starting in 14. That was the most of his NFL career in one season. That year he recorded a career highs in combined tackles (66), pass deflections (15) and interceptions (5). But in the ’20 and ’21 seasons, King only played in a combined 21 games. When Green Bay Packers fans hear this news, they took to social media to share their thoughts:
The dude never deserved all the heat he got from Packers fans
Hopefully he works his way back and can catch on somewhere else in 2024
— Joe O (@JoeFromStCloud) May 7, 2023
This is heartbreaking for Kevin King, but it's also a huge loss for any team looking to add a talented cornerback. Here's hoping he has a speedy recovery and can get back on the field soon! Check my bio plz
— 🦋ingram🦋 (@ingram_lucila) May 7, 2023
Terrible news! Such a talent.
— CLT Capper (@CLTcapper) May 6, 2023
Man that is brutal. Get well
— Comedian (@Comedian_Watch) May 6, 2023
Hate this for him. I would really like to see him get another shot and succeed.
— 🧀Joshua☘️ (@VALambeauLeaper) May 6, 2023
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