Solomon Thomas was partway through his sophomore NFL season when he finally took notice that something was very wrong. The 2018 season felt very different from his rookie campaign a year earlier. Thomas was in a dark place emotionally, and that was evident from his play on the football field and the way he carried himself off the field.
Just weeks after his rookie season, Thomas suffered a devastating loss. His sister and best friend in the world, Ella Thomas, died by suicide. Anger and guilt filled Solomon Thomas. He carried those feelings throughout the whole offseason and into games.
Thomas had not only lost his closest friend, he lost his love for life.
If you haven't already read Tyler Dunne's impressive piece on the San Francisco 49ers over at Bleacher Report, I encourage you to do so. You will have a tough time putting it down. There is so much information packed into the feature, including a portion about Thomas and his ongoing struggles.
Thomas slipped into a depression after losing Ella. Football once filled him with excitement, but that was no longer the case.
"I just had nothing there," Thomas told Dunne. "I was like, 'I really don't care about this. I really don't care about life anymore.'"
Those are difficult words to read because if you don't care about life, it could lead you down a dark path — as it did for Ella.
"I was about to break," Thomas said. "And that week I was about to break is when John came up to me."
John being John Lynch — the 49ers general manager since 2017 and the man who pushed to make Thomas his first-ever draft pick at No. 3 overall.
Lynch saw Thomas in the cafeteria one afternoon and pulled him aside. He offered help in the form of someone to speak with — a therapist. It was a turning point for Thomas. He knew if he was going to get through this, he couldn't do it alone.
Up to that point, Thomas didn't want to be there anymore, merely going through the motions while pretending everything was okay. And it wasn't just football that lost its luster, it was the world in general.
"That conversation probably saved my life, to be honest," Thomas said. "I was in a really dark, dark place then."
Thomas admitted to Dunne that his thought process might have been heading down the same path as Ella's. Days are still difficult, but he is better prepared now to deal with the complex emotions left from the loss.
His teammates have noticed the change.
"Solomon, he's a different person the past couple of months," Juszczyk said on 95.7 The Game in May. "You just see it in his eyes. The guy is always smiling. He just gives off a different energy now, and you can tell he's in a really good place. I think he's in a good place to succeed as well."
Thomas is making the most of the situation. He continues to push for more awareness when it comes to mental health. Thomas partnered with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention this offseason to help create conversation and let those dealing with depression know there are resources available.
Being able to speak with a therapist regularly helped Thomas emerge from his "dark place."
"She really helped me understand to own my emotions and be confident in them and that I'm feeling this way for a reason," Thomas said.
Lynch wasn't the only one who helped Thomas through tough times. So did a letter in December from a nine-year-old fan, Tony Hood, who had recently lost his father.
"You're not alone," Tony wrote and then concluded the letter by asking if Thomas wanted to be friends.
Thomas did.
The defensive lineman flew Tony and his family out to watch the 49ers take on the Seattle Seahawks. It marked San Francisco's first victory against the division rival since the 2013 season.
The letter and meeting Tony helped Thomas realize the impact he can have on someone's life. He'll continue dedicating his free time to reaching and helping as many individuals dealing with depression as he can. It's what Ella would have wanted.
Click here to read Dunne's entire feature on the 49ers over at Bleacher Report.
