WESTFIELD — Nick Hardwick is best known for his decade-long career leading the offensive line for the San Diego Chargers. However, he believes he only found inner peace after his retirement.
“I truly believe life is better now than when I was an NFL player,” said Hardwick, who played college football at Purdue before his professional career. “Life is wonderful.”
Hardwick now lives in Westfield and helps coach the community’s high school football team.
The Men of Westfield, a newly formed community group, invited Hardwick to speak Sunday evening about the mental difficulties he faces and the importance of opening himself up to help.
“There’s always something to improve on,” Hardwick told the crowd. “Every day there is something to improve in your life. Until the day I die, I better work on something.”
Hardwick spoke to the group about the stress he faced during his retirement and the dark thoughts he overcame.
“Two months after I left the game, I was suicidal,” Hardwick said. “I lost my identity, my passion, my community, my team and my goals.”
He said he found purpose in finding new communities and new people to trust, and encouraged the men of Westfield to do the same.
“The most important thing we can do is be there for each other when tough times come, because no one is immune to tough times,” Hardwick said.
The Westfield men hope to have another conversation about mental health soon to build on the foundation laid by Hardwick on Sunday night.
“Sometimes it’s hard for grown men to come together and have a conversation about difficult topics,” said Michael Good, founder of Men of Westfield. “It’s a struggle. Men by nature want to push everything aside and find their way through it. It’s all about the right setting, the right type of conversation, and the right person to initiate that conversation.”
