Clay Travis: “What do you think it was about you that fighting and stepping into the ring appealed to you so much?”
Jay Glazer: “I suffer from depression and anxiety. I was born this way. I always live in the gray; I really don’t live in the blue. I really don’t know what the blue is like that much, and I’m always in the gray… I always felt like a dumb kid, so I felt like maybe I’m strong, and maybe that will make me feel better. So over time when I first started doing it I don’t think I went in it to win, I went in it to take some beatings because that’s what I felt my value was. It turned out that these are the brothers and sisters that I’ve been looking for, and the people who are just as messed up as me. I have to say that I am messed up but I am good with my 'messed up-ness'. That’s where I found my place and my therapy… For me, I used it to battle my depression, and now it’s turned into something much bigger for me.. There's stuff that I've learned facing my own depression by stepping into that cage. Everybody on TV sees me as a big personality, and that’s to overcompensate for the pain I feel behind my eyes. The worst time for me is those 15 minutes when I lay my head on the pillow every day. Man, it’s brutal, and I’ve never been comfortable in my own skin. But when I’m around my fight team I rest my head on that pillow a lot more comfortably... It’s still not perfect, it’s going to be a daily battle for me, but man, every day I just gotta keep trying. Training guys is one of my happy places… Everybody out there who is listening to what I was talking about and thinks they are alone with depression and anxiety, you’re NOT, and it’s okay to not feel okay. Talk to someone. For me, I talk to someone in the cage. Talk to somewhere anywhere, no matter where it is. It’s never too late to take that step.” (Full Segment Above)
Listen to Fox Sports NFL reporter Jay Glazer join Outkick the Coverage to discuss his intimate relationship with combat sports, and open up about how it’s always been a soothing escape from his lifelong battle with depression.
The notable sports media personality is well-known for his ability to break news in the NFL, but Glazer is also a prominent member of the mixed martial arts community as well. Jay owns his own gym, and trains NFL players during the offseason using the same type of training that the most elite UFC fighters in the world undertake.
Check out the interview above as Jay opens up to Clay Travis about his chronic bouts with depression, and how he's used combat sports, and the close friendships he's established inside MMA circles as a way to escape his demons.
Rob Parker Says 'Noodle Arm' Tom Brady is a Disgraceful Loser
Former NFL Doctor Predicts When Joe Burrow Can Return From His Injury
Herd Hierarchy: Colin Cowherd Ranks the 10 Best NFL Teams After Week 11
Colin Right/Colin Wrong: Colin Cowherd Details His NFL Week 11 Revelations
Colin Cowherd: Can't Take Packers Seriously as Super Bowl Contenders
Colin Cowherd: 'Duct Tape' Taysom Hill is Not a Long-Term Option For Saints