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JJ Weaver, UK LB, candidly shares personal mental health story, spreads resources
By Rolando Rosa
Published:
JJ Weaver is turning the tragedy of his father’s murder in 2020 into a positive outlet for other students coping with grief at Kentucky.
CBS Sports recently shared the heartwarming story of the inspirational senior linebacker starting the Perfect Fit peer support group with the Kentucky Center for Grieving Children And Families. Weaver saw a deficiency in support for this area of mental health and wanted to make a difference.
The group, consisting of Weaver’s teammates, meets on Monday evenings and the curriculum is for 8 weeks, centering on grief support and how to develop coping skills.
For @UKFootball linebacker JJ Weaver, the murder of his father in the summer of 2020 caused his immense grief. But JJ not only sought help, but he made it possible for others to find help too. @AdamZuckerCBS has the story. @jjtimeee pic.twitter.com/2fwSyaBKrF
— CBS Sports College Football ? (@CBSSportsCFB) October 4, 2023
“I was like, man I want to start something different. At first I wanted to start in the football facilities because we’re men but we still have feelings at the end of the day,” Weaver said. “We still grieve and we’re still going through things. It’s okay to talk to somebody about what you’re going through.”
Clinical Programs Manager Emily Johnson believes this is a powerful chance to serve the student body.
“This is a great opportunity for the university to provide this support for students and it also has a peer aspect as well,” Johnson said. “So not only are you getting the extra mental health support, extra coping skills, but you also have a group of peers who you know understand exactly how you feel.”
Weaver is committed to honoring his father and using his life as a legacy for him.
“There’s been tough times,” Weaver said. “But I am better and stronger because of it all.”
