Terry Bradshaw has spent decades making people laugh on television, but the NFL legend has also been open about the difficult periods he has faced away from the spotlight. Years after publicly discussing his battle with clinical depression, Bradshaw says therapy helped him understand what he was dealing with and find a way to keep moving forward.
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During a recent appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher, Bradshaw opened up about that journey and the work he still puts into his mental health. The four-time Super Bowl champion explained that he spent three years in therapy and no longer views depression as a personal failing.
“I went to a therapist for three years, and that was really the key for me was the understanding,” Bradshaw said. “I had a problem, but I took it as a personal problem because I thought, Oh my God, I’m really doing something wrong to be, to be clinically depressed.”
Bradshaw then explained why he has continued to put effort into maintaining his happiness, despite the struggles he has experienced.
“I fight hard, I’m a happy guy, so I fight hard to stay happy,” the Hall of Famer said.
Bradshaw was diagnosed with clinical depression in 1999, after years of experiencing symptoms that included anxiety attacks, sleeplessness and significant changes in his mood.
He has previously said that he struggled to understand why he could experience great moments in his life only to be followed by periods when he felt extremely unhappy.
Seeking professional help became an important part of his recovery. Bradshaw has discussed going from a preacher to a psychologist and psychiatrist while trying to understand what was happening to him.
The former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback has also spoken about using medication to manage his condition. He previously explained that depression involves an imbalance in serotonin and said medication helped him maintain that balance.
“When you’re clinically depressed the serotonin in your brain is out of balance and probably always will be out of balance,” Bradshaw said in an earlier interview. “So I take medication to get that proper balance back. I’ll probably have to be on it the rest of my life.”
Bradshaw has never presented his experience as something that should define his career. Instead, he has repeatedly used his platform to discuss depression publicly and encourage others to seek help.
“People tend to say, ‘It’s so courageous to reveal you’ve got depression’, but it’s not an act of valor,” Bradshaw said. “I’m not overcoming any shame to talk about it. I’m proud of it.”
That openness has become another part of Bradshaw’s long career in the public eye. Before becoming a television personality, he established himself as one of the NFL’s most accomplished quarterbacks.
The Steelers selected Bradshaw with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1970 NFL Draft. He spent his entire 14-year career in Pittsburgh, winning four Super Bowls in a six-year span and earning two Super Bowl MVP awards.
After retiring in 1983, Bradshaw successfully transitioned into broadcasting and became a longtime fixture on Fox’s NFL coverage. His career has given him a platform far beyond the football field, and his willingness to discuss depression has made mental health another subject he has addressed publicly.
Now, Bradshaw’s message remains straightforward: managing depression has been an ongoing process, not something he simply left behind after his diagnosis.
His latest comments show that even after all these years, staying happy is still something the NFL legend takes seriously.