ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — For the first time, Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire opened up Thursday about his experience with post-traumatic stress disorder, a condition with which he’s dealt for several years.
“December 22, 2018,” Edwards-Helaire said while speaking to reporters after the team’s practice at Missouri Western. “My best friend and I got into a self-defense situation. I’d say that’s where the majority of things stem from.”
On that day, Edwards-Helaire — at the time, a running back for LSU — and a teammate got into a pickup truck with a third person. The football players were expecting to sell that person a piece of electronics.
Instead, a passenger allegedly pulled a gun and demanded the players’ valuables. One of the players had a handgun of his own and fatally shot the passenger, although it was not determined who pulled the trigger. The players were not charged.
The incident’s impact and other trauma have remained with Edwards-Helaire throughout his time with the Chiefs. He was their first-round draft selection in 2020 and has been part of two Super Bowl championship teams while appearing in 48 regular-season games.
“I wouldn’t say everything stems from (the shooting),” said Edwards-Helaire, 25, who grew up in Baton Rouge, La. “I’ve had best friends pass away from gun violence. When I go back home, I’m visiting some friends at grave sites.”
PTSD is a mental health condition triggered by a terrifying event, either experienced or witnessed. Symptoms can include flashbacks, nightmares and anxiety. According to the National Center for PTSD, about 6% of the U.S. population will deal with PTSD at some point in their lives.
Edwards-Helaire was 19 at the time of the shooting.
“With that happening at such a young age, you just try to block it out, and say, ‘At some point, I’m going to get over it,’ ” hee said. “You start to realize that just doesn’t happen.
“You get older and you realize that no matter the age, no matter the person, no matter the situation, everyone needs help at some point.”
Edwards-Helaire said he has leaned on his support systems, his parents — he was raised by his mother and stepfather — and the Chiefs’ staff. He also identified several layers in the organization’s support personnel, from medical folk to security staff, who have helped him along the way.
Teammates have had Edwards-Helaire’s back, too. Tight end Travis Kelce and receiver Kadarius Toney, Edwards-Helaire said, have noticed days when something appears off.
“They know Clyde’s not laughing, Clyde’s not giggling, he’s not himself, let’s check up on him as a person” Edwards-Helaire said.
Edwards-Helaire also revealed that, in addition to PTSD, he deals with sickly vomiting syndrome — episodes of severe vomiting with no apparent cause. Such episodes can last for hours or days and cause those suffering from them to become dehydrated and lose weight rapidly.
Earlier this week, Edwards-Helaire shared on social media that he had missed two practices while dealing with PTSD, calling those days “hard and very overwhelming.”
