Alshon Jeffery smirks as he unfurls a folded piece of paper from his jacket pocket.
The 6-foot-3, 216-pound pass catcher looks the part of a player less than a decade removed from his lone Pro Bowl season. He’s long and tall. His muscular physique still protrudes through the all-black ensemble he’s wearing Monday morning on the grounds of the Dorn Veterans Affairs hospital in Columbia.
But Jeffery is soft-spoken, almost shy. His voice is hushed as he begins his sermon.
“I’m not big on speeches,” he concedes. “I’ve got a few notes here.”
Jeffery, 32, has become more outgoing in recent years. Some of that comes with age. It also stems, at least in part, from his own self-described battles with mental health and a desire to bring increased awareness to the cause both in sports and in what veterans might face.
On Tuesday, the former South Carolina receiver was joined by fellow Gamecock football alums Moe Brown and Jamar Nesbit, among others, as Jeffery presented a $20,000 check to go toward construction of a Fisher House — a home on the Columbia VA property for families and patients at the hospital to stay in free of charge during their own or a loved one’s time at the hospital.
“I think it speaks to who he is as a man (and) how serious he is about being vulnerable, tackling the stigma of seeking help and the negative connotations that come along with it,” Brown told The State. “And today is just an example of (that). This is just the beginning.”
Jeffery, quiet as his disposition might appear, has become a staunch advocate for mental health in the time since the St. Matthews product starred at Calhoun County and South Carolina before landing in the NFL.
While a member of the Chicago Bears in 2016, a massage therapist he worked with regularly noticed a change in his disposition. He didn’t appear himself, he recounted her telling him.
She suggested Jeffery speak to a professional about it. He did.
The conversation, Jeffery said, helped ease the emotions he’d compartmentalized. He found comfort in the ensuing discussions as he peeled back the layers and feelings he long tried to bury.
It worked for Jeffery. He now wants others to know there’s an outlet available to them, too.
“In football — and all sports — men and women are taught to be tough, that we can get through it,” Jeffery told The State. “But there’s going to come a point where there’s a blockage. It’s OK to be vulnerable.”
Jeffery linked up with Brown and Nesbit, who’ve spent the last year as business partners through Process First Consulting. The trio discussed creating a foundation for Jeffery to channel his advocacy and charitable donations.
Those conversations led to Monday.
The Fisher House Foundation provided the perfect partner for Jeffery’s ambitions. It combined the mental health conversations Jeffery has helped to bring to the forefront of the public consciousness and supported a group in U.S. military veterans that often face their own bouts with mental health when returning home from service, or while recovering from trauma.
The construction is projected to cost roughly $6.2 million in total. Half of that will be raised through community fundraising, while the Fisher House Foundation will match those contributions dollar for dollar, said Dan Hennigan, co-director of the Columbia-based Fisher House Project.
The Columbia chapter has already raised over $1 million, per Hennigan.
“Seeing (Jeffery) grow beyond the field is probably the thing that I cherish more about this than anything else,” added Nesbit, an 11-year NFL player who spent the bulk of his childhood in Germany while his father served in the Army Corps of Engineers. “Because we’re athletes, but, at some time, we have to hang up the cleats.
“For him to be able to figure out a direction and what he wants to do with his free time — and that he’s figured out something else that’s more important, or that is just as important to him — is great to see. I’m excited to see how far he takes it. “
Stepping behind the banner depicting what the finished Fisher House will look like, a pair of construction workers ask Jeffery for a quick photo. He, of course, agreed.
Jeffery, who is currently a free agent, amassed 3,042 yards and 23 touchdowns during his three years at South Carolina. He’s added another 6,786 yards receiving and 80 scores during his nine-year NFL career.
His work on the football field is part of what amounts to moments like those clamoring for a photo of the ex-Gamecock star. Jeffery, though, is hoping his charitable work will garner its own attention, even if it entails a few more speeches.
“I just want people to know that I’m here, that I care for them, that I love them and that they can reach out to me,” Jeffery said. “I just want to do my part for you guys. It’s only right. Mental health is real.”
