Ex-NFL player talks about playing Russian roulette, battling mental illness — VIDEO
The Minnesota Vikings played what amounted to a game of Russian roulette with their future in 1989, when they shipped five players and eight draft picks to the Dallas Cowboys to acquire running back Herschel Walker in what was the largest player trade in NFL history.
Sadly, it turns out Walker has literally played Russian roulette more than once since retiring as he has battled mental illness that might’ve stemmed from his playing days.
Walker, who revealed in his 2008 book, “Breaking Free,” that he has dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder), opened up about a wide range of topics — including his successful treatment in a mental hospital — Thursday on ESPN’s “Highly Questionable” show with Dan Le Batard and Bomani Jones.
Asked about rumors that he’d played Russian roulette, Walker said, “You know what’s funny? It wasn’t when I was at my lowest. Russian roulette was played…like if you came to my home, and you wanted to challenge me at anything, I didn’t think you were worthy enough, because I worked out like a mad man. I still work out today all the time. And I think some people didn’t put the time in I put in. So, I would take a bullet, put it in the cylinder, spin it and tell you to pull it. People would say ‘Herschel, you’re nuts.’ They’d walk away, I’d take that gun, put it to my head, and snap it. That’s how it was. I was so fired up that I could overcome anything. I didn’t realize it was from the anger. All that anger that I had. That I didn’t like myself. I was not even happy with who I was.”
Check out the video for Walker’s entire interview.