Mental health remains one of the most underserved conversations in sports culture, an arena that has historically rewarded toughness over vulnerability and silence over struggle.
NFL star, Brandon Marshall and I Am Athlete have committed to changing that narrative at scale.
Brandon Marshall is one of the most credible voices in the mental health space. After publicly sharing his Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) diagnosis in 2011 and undergoing treatment at McLean Hospital, he founded Project 375, a nonprofit dedicated to eradicating the stigma around mental illness, and went on to co-found I Am Athlete - a media company and podcast designed to give athletes a safe, unfiltered space to tell their stories.
Combining creator strategy expertise and platform reach, Brandon's mental health mission has been amplified beyond traditional sports media audiences. Specifically:
All rooted in Brandon's life's purpose: to remove the stigma of mental illness in sports and beyond.
It all began with a foundational truth: Brandon Marshall doesn't talk about mental health. He lives it.
The strategy was to build around that authenticity rather than layer a campaign on top of it.
Platform Strategy: Shape a creator-led content strategy positioning I Am Athlete as more than a podcast but a media brand and safe space where mental health conversations happen organically alongside sports, culture, and entertainment.
The show's unscripted, locker-room format was central to this. Guests open up precisely because the environment doesn't feel clinical or performative.
Talent & Content Integration: Identify and facilitate brand partnerships that aligned with psychological wellness and athlete empowerment, ensuring that every commercial integration reinforced rather than diluted I Am Athlete's mental health identity. Content frameworks wove destigmatization themes throughout episodes. Not as standalone 'mental health episodes,' but as a consistent thread across the show's DNA.
Community Building: Through coordinated social amplification across YouTube, Instagram, and audio platforms, we extended the reach of Brandon's most vulnerable and impactful moments to audiences who had never engaged with mental health content in a sports context. Brandon's willingness to model vulnerability - discussing his BPD diagnosis, his therapy journey, and his ongoing advocacy - gave permission to fans and fellow athletes alike, to do the same.
Challenges: One of the most significant challenges in this space is avoiding performative wellness. Sports audiences are skeptical of brands and media figures who adopt mental health messaging without lived credibility. Our answer was to stay close to Brandon's story and let Project 375 and his track record - including speaking before the U.S. Senate, the Vatican, and NFL owners - anchor every piece of content.
Broader Mission Alignment: This also supported Brandon's nonprofit, Project 375, and his broader ecosystem including House of Athlete, keeping the mental health conversation connected to real, actionable resources.
The goal was always impact measured not just in views, but in changed minds.
Brandon Marshall's tangible mental health impact:
All contributing to breaking the stigma around meantl health and wellness, starting within the sports world, to the rest of it.
