USF, AAC promoting mental health awareness

In observance of Mental Health Awareness Week, the Bulls will wear a green-ribbon logo on their helmets Saturday at UMass.

The gesture is part of the American Athletic Conference's "Pow6rful Minds" campaign, launched as part of the AAC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) initiative to increase awareness of mental health issues and promote academic success.

The goal is "ending the stigma related to seeking help and promoting success through a healthy, powerful mind," a conference statement says.

"'Pow6rful Minds' is just saying it's okay to not be okay," said USF junior TE Riley Sheehan, the Bulls' SAAC president.

"Being a student-athlete, all the fans get to see, like, the glory and us going out on the field. … But they don't know all the other time that we put in. Playing a (Division I) sport is basically a full-time job. It can get stressful, especially on top of schoolwork, film and practices.

"So that's what we're just saying, it's okay not to be okay. You can reach out. You can talk to a teammate, you can talk to a coach, and you can talk to the (advisors) we have upstairs."

Mental Health Awareness Week runs through Sunday.