In wake of Tyler Hilinski’s suicide, Drew Bledsoe sends powerful message to men

As Washington State continues to come to grips with tragedy, there are those connected to the program who are hoping, even pleading, that something good can come out of the pain.

Tyler Hilinski‘s body was found Tuesday evening at his residence, dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot to the head. As those close to Hilinski mourn the sudden death of the 21-year-old redshirt sophomore quarterback, some, including teammate John Bledsoe, took to social media to express their grief.

God, let Tyler find peace. Everyone please pray for the Hilinski family tonight. Heaven received a very special person. pic.twitter.com/mx4i1MoOhK

— John Bledsoe (@johnbledsoe11) January 17, 2018

Bledsoe is a freshman quarterback at Wazzu who is also the son of Cougar great Drew Bledsoe. On his Instagram account Wednesday, the elder Bledsoe, who acknowledged that he didn’t know Hilinski well, sent out a heartfelt message imploring men “to learn to TALK about how we are feeling.”

“If we sprain an ankle we go see a doctor,” Bledsoe wrote. “If we’re struggling emotionally we have to learn to treat it the same way.”

PLEASE READ!! I didn’t know Tyler well but he was a great friend and mentor to my son. That’s all a dad can ask for. As men we have to learn to TALK about how we are feeling. Suicide is the #2 killer of men between 18-45!! Reaching out for help when we need it is NOT a sign of weakness. Trusting your friends and asking for help is the ultimate sign of STRENGTH!! If we sprain an ankle we go see a doctor. If we’re struggling emotionally we have to learn to treat it the same way. It’s our obligation to the people we love and the people who love us.

A post shared by Drew Bledsoe (@drewbledsoe) on Jan 17, 2018 at 4:31pm PST

Everybody needs help at some point. Male or female, if you’ve gotten to that point, reach out for the help. As Bledsoe stated, it’s not a sign of weakness it’s the ultimate sign of strength. Talk to a family member, friend, co-worker, clergy, anyone. If you’re too embarrassed to talk to someone you know, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is just a phone call away at 1-800-273-8255.

Just talk to someone. Whether you believe it at the time or not, your life is worth it.