Something horrific doesn’t have to happen to talk about mental health. Something historic doesn’t have to happen for it to be discussed, either.

A letter penned from Oregon quarterback Dante Moore to Oregon Governor Tina Kotek proved a perfect example of merging the two. Within the letter originally reported by The Oregonian, Moore details his experiences dealing with mental health issues while seeing his mother battle through chemotherapy, as well as his own struggles on the field as a freshman at UCLA.

“Early in my college career, I found myself struggling deeply: I was depressed,” Moore wrote in the March 3 letter, shared exclusively with The Oregonian/OregonLive. “The pressure and expectations that come with playing quarterback at a high level felt overwhelming at 18. Around that same time, my mother was diagnosed with cancer.”

“Watching her endure chemotherapy while I tried to stay focused on school and football challenged me mentally and emotionally,” Moore said. “It was heavy in ways that are difficult to put into words.”

Moore himself is a bit of an enigma in the sport. He turned down near-guaranteed millions of dollars as a top-two pick in April’s NFL Draft, instead returning to Oregon — albeit with NIL money — with the hope of developing into a more polished prospect and person. He’s also one of the most popular college football players in the country, and his team’s quarterback.

But he’s also unique as a person, too. It’s no secret that humans struggle with talking about mental health issues, and athletes, collegiate and professional, are far from exceptions. Athletes, activists and influencers everywhere talk about using their platform for good, but it’s another thing to go out and act upon that desire.

Throughout his letter, Moore calls upon Gov. Kotek to advocate for the protection and expansion of online mental health services in Oregon. Moore details how these services have personally helped him while listing sobering statistics such as that suicide is the No. 2 leading cause of death for young adults in the state.

“These are not just statistics; they are frightening realities,” Moore said. “They represent students, teammates, and families carrying grief, trauma, and silent struggles without support.”

Moore also went into detail about calling his teammates and friends to action as a person and as a quarterback.

“I recently challenged my teammates to lead beyond the field and use our platform to support people who feel voiceless,” Moore said. “Leadership is not just about what we do on Saturdays — it is about who we stand up for every day. As a quarterback, I am expected to lead, stay composed, and carry responsibility for my team.”

But most importantly, Moore shared an essential perspective about something that affects larger-than-life athletes and students alike: breaking down walls of stigma while serving as a model in a sport that demands toughness.

It’s essential to remember that progress isn’t linear in any regard. Moore detailed making a regular season game against University of Indiana “bigger than what it was” and recalled teammates saying that he “didn’t have that smile on (his) face. I didn’t have that joy. I was kind of too locked in, to be honest.”

But what can become more normalized is athletes and people like Moore using their platforms to share their humanity in a world that demands the extraordinary from so many.

“Learning how to care for my own mental health made me a better leader, teammate, and student,” Moore said. “I know what it feels like to struggle in silence. I also know what it feels like to be supported and to come back stronger. That support saved me.”