Getty Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen said he was bipolar in a recent Instagram post.
Minnesota Vikings veteran Everson Griffen broke the silence surrounding an incident last week where he called police in fear someone was in his house then refused to leave him home.
Griffen posted a photo on Instagram that includes his family, with the following message, saying he is bipolar:
It’s true I am bipolar. I will embrace it and I will be an advocate for mental health. I been running from it a long time. I’m not ashamed of it anymore. It all started when my mother passed away. Went into a dark place, thought I was great for many years. I promise this time I will do everything the experts say and my wife. I love my family and I miss my friends. Thank you for all the love and support, but most of all thank you for all the prayers.
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It’s unclear when Griffen, currently on the Vikings’ non-football injury (NFI) reserve list, will return to football. He must sit out the next two games to fulfill the minimum three-game absence required while on the NFI list.
Griffen’s return to the playing field is currently of little concern to teammates and friends, who expressed their support for Griffen in the post’s comments.
Outpour of Support
The post, which saw nearly 30,000 likes in the first 24 hours since it was published, was met with an outpour of support.
Vikings cornerback Kris Boyd replied, saying, “love you forever! And forever here.” Many teammates echoed Boyd’s message, including Ezra Cleveland, Anthony Barr, Armon Watts, Danielle Hunter and D.J. Wonnum. Ex-Vikings defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo also expressed his support, saying, “Love you big dawg!”
Griffen’s former Detroit Lions teammates, Frank Ragnow and Nick Williams, who the Vikings face this week, commented on the post as well.
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Vikings Equipped to Help Griffen
Griffen’s incident last week could have been a different story had the Vikings not had a responsive mental health team.
The group worked with local authorities while waiting for Griffen to leave his home when he felt safe. He was transported to a health care facility after leaving his house.
“We got him the necessary help that he needs and [he’s] in the care of medical professionals,” Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said at the time, per ESPN.
Spielman was on-site at the time of Griffen’s incident and applauded the care taken throughout the process.
“I can’t tell you how fortunate we are to have the mental health team we have in place that was there with me, and to watch the law enforcement groups and how they handled the situation,” Spielman said on November 24, per Vikings.com. “My job and role was basically to support anything they needed, to communicate back here [to people] in the building, to communicate with our ownership group. Keep everybody informed of what’s going on.
“All I know is that when we got the call this morning, that we immediately – our number-one concern was because of Everson, Tiffany and his family, how much we love them,” Spielman added. “And how much they are a part of this family.”