NFL legend Terry Bradshaw is opening up about his decades-long battle with depression and the important role his wife, Tammy Bradshaw, plays in helping him manage the condition.
The four-time Super Bowl champion, 78, discusses his mental health, football career and personal life in his new memoir, “Looking for Terry: A Memoir,” released Tuesday, October 13.
Ahead of the book’s release, Bradshaw and his wife of 12 years spoke with People about their relationship and the ways they have learned to navigate his difficult days.
The former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback revealed that he and Tammy, 65, even have a special name for the moments when his depression becomes particularly challenging.
They call it “Roy.”
Tammy explained that she can often recognize when her husband is struggling simply by looking at him.
She can “see it in his eyes,” she said.
When those moments happen, the couple acknowledges that “Roy” has come to visit.
Terry Bradshaw Reveals How Wife Tammy Helps Him Manage Depression
Bradshaw explained that he has become comfortable telling his wife when he is experiencing a difficult day.
“Hey, I’m not having a good day,” he sometimes tells her.
Rather than keeping his feelings to himself, the longtime “Fox NFL Sunday” host said he relies on Tammy to help him work through those moments.
“She just gets me out of it. She gets my mind off of it. She frees me up. We do something. We talk about it,” Bradshaw said.
The former quarterback acknowledged that discussing his mental health was not always easy, particularly during his NFL career.
Growing up in Shreveport, Louisiana, Bradshaw experienced symptoms he now describes as undiagnosed ADHD. He later dealt with anxiety attacks and significant emotional highs and lows while playing professional football.
At the time, he believed those experiences were simply part of life.
“You didn’t talk about it,” Bradshaw explained.
He received a formal depression diagnosis in the late 1990s, after retiring from the NFL and establishing his broadcasting career.
Bradshaw eventually sought help from a therapist, psychiatrist and pastor.
He also had to overcome his own concerns about how others might perceive his diagnosis.
“I may be emotional about it, but I’m totally comfortable with telling her,” he said of discussing his feelings with Tammy. “Men think that’s a weakness. I got past it being a weakness. It’s a sickness.”
He added, “There’s nothing wrong with admitting you’ve got issues.”
The NFL Legend Credits Wife Tammy With Changing His Perspective on Mental Health
Bradshaw met Tammy, a former radiation therapist, in the early 2000s. The couple married in 2014.
He credited his wife with helping him understand that depression was not something he had chosen or caused.
“This is not a choice. This isn’t the consequence of something you’ve done. It’s not your fault,” Tammy told him.
Bradshaw described depression as “an ugly disease” and emphasized the importance of having a “good support group.”
His new memoir also examines other major challenges in his life, including his back-to-back cancer diagnoses.
The father of three has found another source of peace through breeding horses at the couple’s 155-acre ranch in Saint Jo, Texas, which they purchased in 2023.
Despite his age, Bradshaw has no plans to slow down.
“Not for me,” he said when discussing the idea of taking things easier.
“There’s no sitting still,” Tammy added.
Terry Bradshaw Hopes His New Memoir Helps Others Open Up About Their Struggles
With the release of “Looking for Terry: A Memoir,” Bradshaw hopes readers gain a better understanding of his experiences beyond his accomplishments on the football field.
“If you read the book and you get some good out of it, then so be it,” he said. “There’s something to be learned from this book.”
The former quarterback also hopes his story encourages others experiencing depression to speak with loved ones and seek professional support.
“Tammy says I’m an open book,” Bradshaw explained. “I like being an open book.”
His wife believes the memoir will help readers see a different side of the NFL Hall of Famer.
“Terry is not what people think they know,” she said. “[He is] always looking and always becoming.”
For Bradshaw, sharing his personal experiences also provides an opportunity to reflect on the challenges he has overcome.
“I’m proud of myself for making it through and surviving,” he said.
“Looking for Terry: A Memoir,” published by HarperCollins, is available now.
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Terry Bradshaw Makes Emotional Admission About His Health and Wife Tammy’s Unwavering Support