DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Anthony Schwartz’s mental health struggles

The inside story of Anthony Schwartz’s mental health struggles this season: ‘Don’t be scared to find a solution’

Updated: Dec. 03, 2022, 9:07 a.m.|Published: Dec. 03, 2022, 5:09 a.m.

By Ashley Bastock, cleveland.com
BEREA, Ohio -- The breaking point for Anthony Schwartz came in August, after the Browns’ final preseason game against the Chicago Bears.

Schwartz, a second-year receiver looking to carve out a consistent role in the Browns offense, had just dropped two passes, bringing his total to five dropped balls in just three preseason games. While the Browns always stressed they still believed in the speedy receiver out of Auburn, he knew what was being said about him on social media and the vitriol that was being hurled his way.

Even worse, he could feel the overwhelming pressure he was putting on himself.

“I was just in the locker room like damn near breaking down, almost having a panic attack,” Schwartz told cleveland.com on Friday. “That kind of just set it off where I was like, I need help. Because if not, this isn’t gonna be fun for me, and it can really affect my life.”

And so began Schwartz’s journey over the last three months to improve his mental health and deal with the anxiety that was impacting him on the field. It’s a journey he now wants to share for the first time, starting with the NFL’s annual My Cause My Cleats charitable campaign this Sunday. Schwartz will wear custom cleats representing the United Way of Greater Cleveland as the Browns take on the Texans.

There’s no denying it wasn’t an easy start to the season for Schwartz. The opening week of training camp he strained his knee and missed just over a week of action. It was the second year in a row his preseason was impacted by an injury. The third-round pick missed most of the offseason and training camp ahead of the 2021 season with a hamstring injury and also missed three games last year with a concussion.

Battling back from that camp knee injury and finding a groove was undoubtedly a major source of stress entering his second year, but there was also a matter of increased expectations.

Ever since he arrived in the NFL, Schwartz has been known for his speed and football IQ -- but he’s also needed some development when it comes to actually catching the ball. It’s understandable, then, why those preseason drops weighed so heavily on him.

“Going into year two I know a lot was expected out of me,” he said. “So I feel like I just kind of overdid it in my head, and at that point it just sort of spiraled down. It felt like the whole world was crashing down at one point.”

When Schwartz was at his lowest, following that postgame breakdown, he knew it was time to get help.

His first stop was to talk it out with the Browns’ sports psychologist, Dr. Mayur Pandya.

“I kind of went through some struggles, coming back from an injury and not performing the way I thought I could and from that point,” Schwartz said. “I kind of was in a funk. He helped me get out of that.”

Talking about his struggles on the field and his anxiety helped, as did other common anxiety-reducing tactics.

Schwartz, like a large chunk of his Browns teammates, has taken up meditation. He meditates alone the night before every Browns game, and with Pandya the day of each game. His goal going forward is to try daily meditation, too.

“That kind of just helps me just calm down, calm my anxiety, calm everything down so I’m able to just go out and perform,” Schwartz said.

He’s also really focused on mindfulness, a common technique used in talk therapy that focuses on bringing your attention to the present moment, rather than worrying about the past or what lies ahead.

Schwartz was so focused on improving for the future and on not dropping passes that the pressure was causing the opposite effect -- like a batter at the plate who wants to hit a home run so bad that he ends up striking out.

“Just kind of taking a step back to be like, just enjoy what’s going on right now,” Schwartz said. “Don’t worry about what the next play is or what happened that last play. Just worry about you. Whether you’re on the bench, just don’t even worry about what’s going on right now. Just take in the moment and just kind of enjoy the moment, because when it’s gone, you’re going to regret not enjoying it.”

On top of these therapy techniques, there’s also been one major habit change: learning how to block out what is said about him on social media.

Schwartz admits that early in the season the social media criticism coming his way for those dropped balls wore on him. But as he’s worked on managing his anxiety, he realized that his own performance needs to be his top priority, not what people are saying about it.

“It got to a point where I’m just kind of like, we’re gonna focus on me, like all the outside noise, just got to block it out,” he said. “And that’s kind of whether it’s on social media or in the game, it’s kind of just let it be. Let them be and I’m going to control what I can control.”

It’s helped that Schwartz has gotten nothing but support from the Browns as an organization, from his teammates on up.

Swing tackle Chris Hubbard has himself been open about his mental health struggles. An ambassador for the National Alliance of Mental Illness, he created the Overcoming Together Foundation, which will be represented on his own cleats this week. Schwartz said Hubbard was key in helping him get to the point of realizing it was OK to ask for help.

“Chris Hubbard, he’s a big advocate for mental health, and that kind of just led me to that point,” Schwartz said. “That this is a thing I need to take serious and a thing that can really help me improve and help me to gain that confidence back.

“I appreciate all of my teammates. They’ve all been at my side just helping me keep my confidence up. Building me up whether it’s in the game, in practice or just seeing me around. Just putting an arm around me and saying like, ‘We trust in you. We got you. We need you.’ I’ve been really appreciative of that from everyone.”

The Browns coaching staff also never expressed any doubt in Schwartz, with both head coach Kevin Stefanski and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt adamant in the preseason that Schwartz would turn it around and bounce back from those early drops.

Wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator Chad O’Shea has also had a big impact on how Schwartz views his anxiety, considering the receiver room has weekly discussions about mental health, book recommendations included.

Those talks in particular have helped Schwartz learn how to block out outside noise.

“I’ve been very supportive of Anthony,” O’Shea said. “The greatest thing about it all is that everyone’s on board with it. Everyone feels very strongly about it. The receivers have done a great job of being very active in this area. It’s something that we talk about daily in our room is the importance of the mind as it relates to your performance on the field.”

And about that on-the-field performance: Schwartz is perhaps finding a stride now that his mental health has become a priority.

He’s really embraced a role on special teams, playing most of those snaps on kick return and punt return, but appearing on the punt and kick coverage units, too.

And getting some looks in the offense, last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers he showed he can still make big plays. It was Schwartz who got the Browns on the board with a big 31-yard reverse end around, his first touchdown of the year. He earned high praise from Stefanski afterwards.

“I’m really proud of him,” Stefanski said. “Anthony played at a very high level, we have a ton of confidence in him and I think he will continue to help this team win.”

It hasn’t been a perfect journey. He was a healthy scratch against the Ravens on Oct. 23 for the first time in his career. He’s also had two drops this regular season, both coming against the New England Patriots. But the biggest development is that he’s been able to move on and stay in the present, embracing small, incremental steps of improvement.

“Special teams, offense, not having to think of 30 million things running through my mind, because that can also add to anxiety,” he said. “It’s just simplified everything in my mind so I can just go out there and perform. I don’t have to worry about this or that, just worried about my role.”

Schwartz has come a long way from that near-panic attack in the Browns locker room in August. He not only recognized he had a problem, but has taken meaningful steps to solve it, the same way he would adjusting a route he runs, or getting in extra reps on a JUGS machine.

While his mental health journey may not have been an easy one to start, Schwartz is glad he’s here now.

And by choosing to speak out, he hopes to show others that journey is not as scary or impossible as it may seem at the start.

“Just to show people that your mental health is a real thing,” Schwartz said. “Like it’s not just a made up story that people try to call it. It’s a real thing. Because if you’re depressed, if you’re anxious, that can really affect you, not only on the field but in life. And that’s just one thing I want to show that us athletes go through that too. And that if you’re an athlete you’re not alone in this, everyone’s going through something and don’t be scared to speak out. Don’t be scared to find a solution. Because if not, you’ll just be in that funk.”

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/20...lth-struggles-hoping-to-help-others.html

Apparently this wasn't a issue at Auburn. If it was Berry wouldn't have
Drafted him so high in RD 3. It was no secret Schwartz was a project
Now he is MENTAL PROJECT. Double whammy.

Thanks for posting this. Stories like this puts things in perspective. Fans can be very mean. Think about some of the comments we have made on this board. Mental health issues are still somewhat of a taboo topic and certainly a misunderstood one even though more and more people are coming out and trying to educate the masses on the pain and the daily struggles of the disease.

I agree. That said, I still think he sucks.

Not trying to diminish his story, but this reads more like a crisis of confidence than a mental health issue. I've struggled with panic attacks the last 15 years. I can tell you it is a real thing. This reads more like "I wasn't playing well, pressing, lost my confidence, didn't appreciate people being mean to me so I got depressed and started feeling down which hurt my confidence even more". That's not really anxiety/depression in my mind.

Again, not trying to diminish his story, just the characterization of it. Glad he's feeling better and hopefully on his way to being a productive member of the team.

Maybe.

I still think good players don't question their ability even if they are in a slump.

Mental function and mental health are two different things.

Any chance we can just show some compassion for the young man and not argue?

OK....I feel for the guy.

Never mind.

Sounds like he was a buttercup who sucked it up. I don't meant that in a bad way.

Hoping he can find mental peace regardless of how the rest of his career goes

Regardless of the reason for Anthony's problems I'm glad he's getting help and wish him the best with his recovery. I like the guy and hope he becomes a productive player for us.

It is always good to work on insecurities. I hope ball insecurity is being added to his list.

Get whatever help is necessary for your health. I hope for your recovery. Pro football in the Bigs is not for everybody; you may need to confront that. If it is this disturbing, is it worth your well being?

I appreciate he was fast when we took him, and he has worked at improving, but I remain unimpressed for the most part. Drops and fumbles are hard to ignore. Wish him the best. I think we need more. JMO.

Why is this public, if per say maybe Josh Gordon or anyone for example would have whatever, it wouldn't have to have been publicly discussed.

I feel meditation on anything other than God, or The Word of God, is evil.

One iz only allowed to meditate on God, or the word of God, anything elze would violate the first of the ten commandmentz that
you should have no other Gods before God.

and the 3rd commandment, you shall not make any idolz nor bow down and worship those idolz.
edit: 2nd commandment, 2nd. third iz No name in vain.

Today wont help

The Browns won the game.

Whatever. Most people who end up being a receiver remove those mental blocks when they are out in the yard tossing a ball around when they are 8 years old.

The reality is Schwantz has always been more of a decoy and never really expected to catch, since he can't catch.

You get on the front O, and I agree here. For whatever reason, we don't do a good job of evaluating receivers and D linemen.

I don't know if it's ever been done, but can you put someone on the non-football IR for mental issues? The medical community recognizes mental disorders as legitimate illnesses that qualify for disability.
Though I'm not sure what AS has meets the criteria for a mental health diagnosis.

I think you can put him on the non-football exempt list or whatever, but I’m not sure the rules can still apply to him returning?

Either way, the Browns should cut their loss and just call it a sunk cost w/Schwartz

How do you know what he meditated on? Looking at and being in nature, created by God, violates the first commandment how? If we are to treat others as we wish to be treated then how does helping him violate anything?

Schwartz has to help improve his mental status by not getting concussions.

Just move on. It’s easier than engaging… whatever TL is.

Man, Throw is a philosopher, warrior poet, and a true dawg. His comms impediment issues are more on the reader than the poster. In other words, it's not his fault if YOU can't keep up.