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SALT LAKE CITY – A Utah football star has decided to step away from the game after some mental health struggles.
Jeffrey Dewsnup, only 16 years old, was recognized as one of the best goalkeepers in the state and country, and signed a contract with Real Salt Lake to play for the Monarchs.
“It’s definitely difficult to play such a young player,” he said.
He said that the pressure of playing professional football at a young age affected his mental health.
“I felt like I did well in those situations on the field, but off the field it caused a lot of anxiety and depression,” Dusnapp said.
The anxiety and depression worsened, and in February of last year, he said he had reached a point where he knew he needed to make a change.
“What steps should I take to be happy since you are not going to live long,” he asked himself.
He decided to quit football and focus on the things that brought him happiness.
“I found a lot of hope through music,” Dewsnup said.
He said he wrote songs about his struggles off the field. That passion led him to form a band called The Joneses.
“Music was the way to soften the blow of football,” he said.
He says that by speaking and singing about men’s mental health, he hopes it will begin to break down the stigma.
“Men just need to be vulnerable, because you can only grow if you approach the problem. You can’t expect to grow by ignoring the problem,” he said.
If you’re interested in listening to music written by Dewsnup, you can find Jones on any music streaming platform.
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Aina LikensAyanna Likens is an Emmy Award-winning special projects reporter for KSL-TV.
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