Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for young people aged 10-34, and one of the great tragedies of our time is the dearth of resources and help for people who are struggling with their mental health. Solomon Thomas aims to change that with The Defensive Line, the foundation he started to honor the memory of his sister, Ella, who died by suicide at age 24.
I don’t know anyone whose life hasn’t been impacted by the suicide of a loved one. I’ve written before about my grandfather, who took his
own life when I was eight years old and opened my eyes at a very young age to the devastating and enduring grief suicide leaves with the loved ones left behind.
Thomas was this year’s Dallas Cowboys Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee for his work with The Defensive Line, and I had the opportunity to speak with Thomas’s mother, Martha, this week as she and some other NFL moms (Kelvin Beachum’s mom Culetta, and Dion Dawkins’ mom Lisa) prepared to celebrate their sons at NFL Honors by getting red-carpet ready with JC Penney.
Thomas is understandably bursting with pride for her son. We spoke about his foundation and why this work matters so deeply, what Thomas was like as a young boy, and more.
As a little boy?
“He was a hot mess,” Martha Thomas said, laughing. “He had so much energy. We lived overseas. We lived in Australia, and you could put him on a plane, going from Sydney to Chicago, and that child might not sleep. And that’s a 17-hour flight.”
And now he channels that energy into his NFL career, as well as the work of The Defensive Line. Priority one is breaking the stigma and making people comfortable talking about mental health.
“First of all, by him speaking out, by us doing work with leaders of young people for The Defensive Line, we’re all saving lives and normalizing the conversation,” Thomas said. “So many people, especially grown ups, aren’t comfortable talking about mental health. And we have to make it comfortable so that young people have safe places to go to.”
Another topic we need to get comfortable discussing in healthcare in general, and mental healthcare specifically, is the differences in access and outcomes for people of color in the United States. The suicide rate for Black adolescents rose 144% between 2007 and 2020, and that is a flat-out emergency.
The reasons are many: Systemic inequality results in less access to mental healthcare resources and treatment, unconscious bias leads to worse healthcare experiences and outcomes, and a general mistrust of the healthcare system, borne from horrors like the Tuskeegee untreated syphilis study and studies that show many providers believe racist pseudoscience and it impacts their treatment plans for patients, may discourage nonwhite patients from seeking care altogether. And that’s not even factoring in the general stigma surrounding mental healthcare.
One specific aim of The Defensive Line is to address that and to make sure that young people of every race and background are able to access the support and care they need.
“Yeah, we try to reach underserved communities,” Thomas said. “The suicide rates for young people of color are rising dramatically. But there are resources out there. That’s the good news. And so if we get the resources to everyone, then there’s a better chance of saving more lives.”
Solomon Thomas is an interesting guy — in addition to playing for the Cowboys and running The Defensive Line, Martha says he’s a huge “drama nerd” and loves Broadway. You might remember that from Hard Knocks with the Jets a few years back.
“He took half the team to Broadway,” Martha said. “Oh, my gosh, several times!”
Thomas and Dak Prescott have a ton in common — aside from being on the same team, they’ve both lost siblings to suicide, which has brought them closer. And in case you’re wondering, yes, Martha Thomas does see the resemblance — physically, and in the type of men they are.
“The really sweet thing is that they… They do have that background… They have the background, and they both have the sweetest heart. And they need that support from each other,” she said.
When asked what character trait she was most proud of in her son, it wasn’t easy to pick just one.
“I’m most proud of… his resiliency, the love that he is willing to take and shower on other people,” Martha Thomas said.
Washington Commanders LB Bobby Wagner took home the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award this year, but this is an award honoring the best of the best when it comes to serving their communities. It truly is an honor to be nominated, and Solomon Thomas’s mom could not be more proud.
“To be recognized amongst so many players who do so much good is humbling. And I couldn’t be prouder of him,” she said. “Coming to Dallas, this was his first year in Dallas, and he was nominated. This is his fourth nomination. And I am so proud of him. I’m so grateful to the Dallas Cowboys for their support. But really, really happy to be able to support him and to love on him.”
If you’d like to support the important work of The Defensive Line and help save lives, visit their website for more details.
