For the players, embroidering wasn’t something they’d done before.

Broken off into small groups, the players weaved yellow thread into the fabric as students asked questions about dealing with stress, going away to college, and being away from their support systems back home.

Similar to Gonzalez, Douglas also shared with students how two of his former college teammates had passed away after battling their mental health. Anderson told the story of how a bought with a serious illness almost took his life.

For the students, the players offered great perspective.

“I think it’s important when you’re in the NFL, having that huge spotlight on you and seemingly having everything you want, to still be vulnerable,” Gonzalez said.

“My teammates and I did that today, and I hope the takeaway was that even people living out their childhood dreams are still going through things. All you can do is try to be a little bit better every day.”

Watching the event play out, Burke had the same takeaway.

“As a society, and our young people especially, put our athletes on a pedestal and look up to them so much,” Burke said.

“So to be able to hear that vulnerability as strength, not weakness, they’re learning from a young age and from someone they look up to that it’s okay to reach out for help, and it’s also okay to experience adversity. You are allowed to struggle at times, and you are also empowered to reach out for help. It’s transformative for this generation.”