Travis Kelce has endless support for his Kansas City Chiefs teammate Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
In the Nov. 8 episode of The Pivot Podcast, Edwards-Helaire, 25, sat down with hosts Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder to talk about the PTSD he experienced after being involved in a shooting in 2018. The running back shared that the incident affected his personal life, physical health and career.
Kelce, 35, shared the episode on his X account the same day, writing, “GBC!! My good brotha for life! Y’all gotta tune into this one. One of the strongest men I know!”
Edwards-Helaire told the hosts that the shooting occurred on December 22, 2018, when he was still playing college football for Louisiana State University. He recalled that he and a friend were in North Baton Rouge attempting to sell a Playstation console in what was supposed to be a routine exchange.
The athlete shared that he had a “bad feeling” when he woke up that morning, but accompanied his friend on the errand anyway. “The next thing I see is a gun towards Jared’s head,” he said. “My only reaction was, you know, either I’m about to watch my best friend lose his life or do something about it.”
Edwards-Helaire, who was also carrying a firearm, took action. According to a report from the Associated Press, Edwards-Helaire and his friend were deemed by authorities to be justified in the shooting — which resulted in a death — as they were acting in self-defense. “I hope nobody ever has to go through the situation that I’ve been through,” he added in the podcast.
Edwards-Helaire also described how the incident affected him physically. He said he was only sleeping about three hours every night for several years after the experience and was “constantly vomiting.” He also shared that he has been hospitalized several times for PTSD.
“The only time that I would feel myself was when I was putting on a helmet,” he added. When the hosts asked Edwards-Helaire if the NFL “super stars” knew what he had been “dealing with,” he said that he has received incredible support from Kelce.
“The amount of time that I was spending with Travis was unreal,” he continued. “I really look at him as a big brother and I needed somebody to lean on.” He said Kelce would reach out to check in and see how he was doing during his first year in the league. Their conversations were “more heartfelt than anything,” he noted, adding, “He called called me GBC — Good Brother Clyde.” Edwards-Helaire also made special mention of Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, explaining that he urged him to take care of himself and take the time he needed in his healing journey.
“I’m doing a lot better than I have been these past four years,” Edwards-Helaire said at another point in the podcast. “Mentally, physically, everything is just on the up and up. I’d say I’m probably the healthiest I’ve been since I came into the league.” If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
