FRISCO, Texas _ The NFL conducted meetings on mental health in Dallas this week. It's a continuation of the league's renewed efforts to tackle the issue among its players.
The NFL held a joint symposium with the NFL Players Association in Atlanta in May.
Dallas Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory, however, scoffs at the idea of the league truly caring about the mental health of its players and being able to put together an effective program to deal with it.
"It's trash. It's punitive," Gregory said of the league's mental health program. "That's my experience. Maybe they have something different."
Gregory's experience is important because he is back with the Cowboys after missing the 2017 season under NFL suspension for repeated violations of the league's substance abuse program.
Gregory ran afoul of league rules for his use of marijuana, which dates back to his college days at Nebraska. He has reportedly been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and says his problems are more emotional and mental than just being a drug abuser.
In his experience, he says the league cares more about drugs than mental health.
"If I went to someone in the league and said 'Hey, I had this problem in my mind and one of the ways I cope with it ... one of the things I do is abuse this drug or that drug,' they will already forget the beginning part, the mental illness. They will just focus on abusing drugs.
"It's hard to say the NFLPA or the league itself is going to be there ... at the end of the day, they tried to kick me out of the damn league. If I had a mental issue they don't give a damn, you are using drugs get out the league."
By all accounts, that the league is starting to take mental health into account at all is a positive step in the right direction.
"Being mental ill is the new normal," said attorney Daniel Moskowitz, who has represented a number of NFL players in the substance abuse program, including Gregory. "It has never been just about drugs. The NFL taking a serious approach to mental illness is refreshing."
Gregory said the NFL and the NFLPA are trying. But he said they have too many players to deal with to give each individual the personal attention they need to deal with their issues.
He said he was doing better with the program the Cowboys had in place for him after selecting him in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft than he did when he was forced into the league's program after his failed tests.
"The team they are on a whole another schedule," Gregory said. "They want to help you. I am thankful I had the team as opposed to being on another team where they would say, the kids messed up, let him go. I think the team has dealt with enough players in similar situations and mental states that they are kind of used to it and know what to do about it"
Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones agrees with Gregory. He said the league is trying its best but teams are better equipped to handle a player's mental health issues.
"We think that we have a connection with the players that are in our organization," Jones said. "And we're right here, hands-on with them, all the time and they're with their teammates. We tend to believe that we're better off working with the players. Mental illness, mental health is new to some degree, in terms of the way people are starting to look at it. Forever, it was kind of different in terms of how you looked at it. Now, I think people understand it's a real illness and something people need to be treated for. You have to work with them on it. I know the NFL takes it very seriously, and I know we do. We'll continue to help players who need help in that area."
Moskowitz said it's a testament to the Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones for their approach to dual diagnosis. He said they are at the forefront of helping NFL players tackle substance abuse and mental illness.
