Missouri’s Saint Joseph On most days, Clyde Edwards-Helaire is one of the cheeriest players on the Kansas City Chiefs, constantly putting a smile on his teammates’ faces.
Just last week, during a practice, fifth-year running back Edwards-Helaire made jokes with Isiah Pacheco while standing on the sidelines. The two running backs ended up singing along and making up R&B-style songs.
However, there are days when Edwards-Helaire’s demeanor and body language might shift abruptly, and other times it just takes a single thought to bring up unpleasant memories. A few days ago, one of such occurrences happened. On Thursday, Edwards-Helaire revealed how tight end Travis Kelce and receiver Kadarius Toney, two of his closest teammates, can detect the early signs of post-traumatic stress disorder in him. Edwards-Helaire missed practice on Sunday and Monday of this week due to an illness that the team described.
Edwards-Helaire revealed on his X account just before Sunday’s on-field work that he missed practice due to PTSD symptoms, including nightmares, flashbacks, and extreme anxiety. Edwards-Helaire disclosed on Thursday, for the first time in his NFL career, the cause of his PTSD and the day he will never forget: December 22, 2018.
“My best friend and I got into a self-defense situation,” Edwards-Helaire said. “That’s probably where the majority of things stem from.”
That day, Edwards-Helaire and her LSU teammate Jared Small were attempting to sell Kobe Johnson an electronic device in Edwards-Helaire’s neighborhood of north Baton Rouge, Louisiana. According to Baton Rouge police, Johnson tried an armed robbery while sitting in the rear seat of a pickup with Edwards-Helaire and Small in the front seats. In response, Edwards-Helaire took out a handgun that was duly registered and fired several times, killing Johnson, who was eighteen. Following their conversation with Baton Rouge police, Small and Edwards-Helaire were released that evening without being charged.
Hillar Moore, the district attorney for East Baton Rouge, declared a week later that the shooting was appropriate.
Edwards-Helaire returned to action ten days after the shooting, registering 57 all-purpose yards and a 77-yard return on the opening kickoff as LSU defeated Central Florida in the Fiesta Bowl.
“With that happening at such a young age, my first couple years I tried to block everything out, like, ‘At some point, I’m going to get over it,’” Edwards-Helaire said. “Then you start to realize that just doesn’t happen. You get older and you realize no matter the age, the person, the situation, everyone needs help at some point.
“It’s being able to know this is the help I need or this is what I need to ask for.”
RB R&B album coming soon? 🤣 pic.twitter.com/0lwFeEJPDA
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) July 27, 2024
In his X post, Edwards-Helaire disclosed that he had gone through “several flare-ups” with PTSD in the previous month. He clarified on Thursday that members of the Chiefs’ medical and support staff, as well as his parents Shannon and Tonge Helaire, have assisted him in better identifying and managing his symptoms.
Helaire’s father, Shannon, a former police officer and member of the Marine Corps, has been providing Edwards-Helaire with support over the past two years by reading literature on PTSD and sharing personal accounts of his experiences.
“He told me things that I felt he never told anybody, even guys that have been a part of his platoon or guys he was deployed with,” Edwards-Helaire said of his father. “Talking is a big thing. It’s just getting over that hump, personally, of being able to know that everybody goes through things, good or bad, and being able to cope with it.”
Edwards-Helaire was diagnosed with cyclic vomiting syndrome, a chronic disorder that causes severe nausea, vomiting, and tiredness in cycles that can last anywhere from a few hours to several days, along with PTSD a few years ago.
Last season, Edwards-Helaire was either absent from practice or had an ailment mentioned on the Chiefs injury report at different points, including Super Bowl LVIII week. According to him, PTSD, cyclic vomiting syndrome, or both, can frequently have crippling effects.
“Sometimes, I’m admitted into the hospital, like I can’t stop throwing up,” he said. “The only person who kind of put me in the right direction was (assistant athletic trainer) Julie Frymyer early on to get me some of the (medication) at the time when I am probably going through an episode to get me over that hump.
“It’s really bad dehydration and dropping weight really fast. Mentally, it’s just not being there.”
Really powerful stuff from Clyde Edwards-Helaire today, sharing his experience living with PTSD.
“No matter the person, no matter the situation – everyone needs help at some point.”
“It’s just being able to step up and know, ‘This is the help I need.'” pic.twitter.com/vaD6QgYsqA
— Marleah Campbell (@MarleahKCTV5) August 1, 2024
Edwards-Helaire mentioned three other Chiefs employees, Rick Burkholder (vice president of sports medicine and performance), Brian Shafar (senior director of team security), and Shaun Tyrance (team clinician), who have assisted him in understanding his situation and appreciating his progress in terms of mental health.
“I’m a guy who can talk to anybody,” Edwards-Helaire said. “If I can get the help from (anyone) who has a different coping mechanism that they feel helped them, I try my best to get whatever I need for help so I can come out here and perform.”
With above-average rushing and receiving ability, Edwards-Helaire was a skill-position player who was drafted by the Chiefs in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. With 1,100 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns in his debut season, he helped the Chiefs win the Super Bowl; however, over the last three years, his output has decreased.
Rather than sign with another team as a free agency this past spring, Edwards-Helaire opted to support Pacheco by signing a one-year, $1.7 million contract with the Chiefs. He has received praise for his professionalism and hard ethic from numerous coaches and players.
“I really enjoy having him around and he’s someone that has a calming presence,” offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said of Edwards-Helaire. “With (running back) Deneric Prince as a young guy coming in and learning (pass) protections, Clyde has all the protections down. He knows the timing of screens and he knows his patience in the hole. As a person, he’s just a special human being. He has a great balance on the field and off the field. It shows with his teammates.”
Edwards-Helaire was with his teammates and coaches for the team’s parade and victory celebration in downtown Kansas City three days after the Chiefs’ overtime triumph in Super Bowl LVIII in February. The event culminated in a shooting that was the result of a conflict between several people. Elizabeth Galvan, 43, was the only fatality, and at least 22 people were injured. Edwards-Helaire covered 13-year-old Zach Cotten, who was at the procession with his father, Chris, as gunfire erupted.
President Joe Biden praised four players from the Chiefs on their May 31 visit to the White House: Edwards-Helaire, coach Andy Reid, right guard Trey Smith, and long snapper James Winchester.
Still, Edwards-Helaire said he dealt with anxiety days after the parade.
“I just kind of wanted to remind everybody in K.C. that it’s not something that you want to keep bringing up (to others),” he said. “You never want to bring up past traumas because you never really know what funnel that’ll bring the next person down or what situation or what spot that they were in during that time.”
This past offseason, on December 22, 2018, Edwards-Helaire was reminded of a moment when he was in his hometown and visited a cemetery to pay tribute to friends he had lost.
“I’ve had best friends that have passed away from young ages from gun violence and just not being at the right places at the right time,” Edwards-Helaire said. “Knowing I have people that (were) close to me or around me who are not in the situation or could (have been) in the same spots that I am, it’s different when you feel like your whole life is (known as a) football player. There’s so many things that come with a person.”
In late June, Edwards-Helaire tied the knot with his girlfriend JoJo O’Connor. He stated that he will keep up his online studies during the season with the goal of following in his mother’s footsteps and eventually becoming a nurse.
While he still plays in the NFL, Edwards-Helaire revealed that he made the decision last month to attempt more frequently to be a supportive person for others who are dealing with PTSD, encouraging them to get help even if it is uncomfortable.
“I felt it was at least my job to step up and talk about the things that some people feel vulnerable enough to not talk about,” he said. “I’m probably the most level-headed and clear that I’ve probably been in the last five or six years. I’m 25 years old. I’m just trying to live the rest of my life healthy.”
(Photo: Reed Hoffmann / Associated Press)
