Friend and KU teammate Ben Heeney shares Brandon Bourbon’s tragic story hoping to help others
Atlanta Falcons tight end Austin Hooper (81) runs against Oakland Raiders middle linebacker Ben Heeney (50) during the second half of an NFL football game in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Atlanta Falcons tight end Austin Hooper (81) runs against Oakland Raiders middle linebacker Ben Heeney (50) during the second half of an NFL football game in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
A year after the tragic news of former Kansas football running back Brandon Bourbon’s death emerged, his friend and KU teammate Ben Heeney is making sure as many people as possible hear Bourbon’s story.
Heeney, Bourbon’s college roommate and now a linebacker with the Oakland Raiders, re-lived some of his favorite memories of Bourbon in a feature for The Players’ Tribune titled, “Life and Death.”
In the piece, Heeney details not only the fun moments he and Bourbon experienced together in Lawrence, but also a detailed, heartbreaking account of how he wanted to help a friend he could tell was in need, not knowing at the time Bourbon soon would take his own life.
Reflecting on their time together, Heeney says on The Players’ Tribune he sees now that at some point Bourbon reached a point where he determined life lacked the meaning it once held for him. So Heeney hopes to make sure his friend’s life still can have an impact.
“I want to help educate people. I want
to talk to people who are having
thoughts like Brandon had, and to let
them know that there’s another chapter
for them, and that they need to be
here to write it,” Heeney shared.
“That their story isn’t over. I want
to have the conversation with them
that I wish I’d had with Brandon.“But I also want to talk to people who
are close to those who might be
suffering,” he added, “to let them
know that there are signs to look out
for, and to tell them the proper way
to acknowledge them and address them.”
— Read Heeney’s entire feature for The Players’ Tribune: Life and Death
photo by: Nick Krug
Kansas running back Brandon Bourbon celebrates his touchdown against Texas Tech during the first quarter on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011 at Kivisto Field.
Though Bourbon’s story is a sad one, Heeney’s desire is that it will help save someone else’s life.
On Monday, Heeney posted several old photos of him and his buddy, remembering April 3, 2016, as the last day the two spoke.
“It hurts so much knowing that you
could still be here with us today,”
Heeney wrote on Instagram. “Looking
back now, I can see some signs, but
when the signs were right there in
front of me I was blind. Blinded by
your confidence, your resilience, your
strength. See it’s the strongest
people who hide it so well. Never in a
million years did I think you were
struggling everyday. Never in a
million years did I think you didn’t
want to be here anymore. I wish I
would have recognized the signs and
been there for you. I wish you would
have opened up to me and told me your
struggles so we could get through them
together… I will NEVER stop telling
your story. I will NEVER let anyone
forget your name. Because I know you
would do the same for me. I love you
and miss you every single second of
every single day bro. We will continue
to spread your message and continue to
raise depression awareness so
hopefully nobody else ever has to feel
as alone as you did. You are with me
always — and like you told me that
last day we were together, “see you
soon.”
Ben Heeney couldn't save his best friend.
But now he's using Brandon's story to save others. https://t.co/Oj1C7XTsCS pic.twitter.com/bDbaAKhXwF
— The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) April 4, 2017