Opioid addiction is a hot-button issue in America today. Despite the health risk involved with abusing prescription pills, professional football players often feel pressured to take them in order to perform at a high level while dealing with the pain that comes with their sport. In a recent interview, Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre said he went to rehab three times, twice for prescription pills and once for alcohol, and once took 14 Vicodin.
On Monday, Peter King of The Monday Morning Quarterback shared comments from Favre about his addictions.
"I was the MVP on a pain-pill buzz," he said. "The crazy thing was, I'm not a night owl. Without pills, I'd fall asleep at 9:30. But with pills, I could get so much done, I just figured, 'This is awesome.' Little did I know Deanna would be finding some of my pills and when she did, she'd flush them down the toilet."
He says he was able to get over his addiction after his third trip to rehab in 1998 but called his recovery a "constant battle."
For many athletes, football players, in particular, pill addictions form as a result From attempts to escape the pain that comes with playing a contact sport at a high level. Favre has spoken often about the head injuries he suffered during his 20 years in the league.
"If a 'ding' is a concussion, I've had hundreds, probably thousands throughout my career," he told NBC's Megyn Kelly last month.
Favre won three NFL MVP awards during his career spanning two decades. He was also voted to 11 Pro Bowls and led the Packers to a Super Bowl XXXI victory in 1996.
Source: bleacherreport.com