Paying it forward: Virginia Tech`s Cannon got help when he was in crisis — now he wants to aid others

BLACKSBURG — Austin Cannon’s heart sank when he heard the news last month that Washington State quarterback Tyler Hilinski died by suicide.

The news was a jolt to the college football world, a dose of real life entering the space of a usually joyous game, but it was something more than that for Cannon, a redshirt freshman walk-on Virginia Tech offensive lineman from Mechanicsville.

It was his story.....

....“Football players are, I guess, seen as tough guys. And they don’t show emotion. And I think the Washington State quarterback never really said anything because people probably would have thought he was some kind of soft guy and real men don’t show their feelings and whatnot.

“I think that’s false. I think real men show their feelings.”....

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Bethany`s Notes: The more stories the better. Austin shares his experience of `being tough` and how it pushed him to the brink. A series of events came crashing down and Austin just wanted release. Read his story and find ways to identify warning signs of suicide ideation.