Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller collaborated with UM’s Substance Awareness Club to share his experience with substance abuse and his recovery journey on Tuesday, March 24.
Waller said that his first experience with drug use was at a friend’s house when he took hydrocodone in his sophomore year of high school.
“I was kind of depressed at the time, really anxious, really wanting to fit in and looking for something that would quiet all of the noise going on inside my mind,” Waller said
His substance use escalated by junior year of high school, drinking beer, liquor and smoking cannabis. Waller then went on to play football at Georgia Tech from 2012 to 2014, where his drug use became even more frequent.
“How much I could drink, how much I could smoke, that became my identity. It was around that time that I started to see like, ‘Oh, this is kind of different from everybody else,’” Waller said.
Despite Waller’s substance use, those around him did not initially notice any warning signs.
“It wasn’t really anything that anyone could pick up on. I could always give you a smile, make you laugh, I was getting good grades,” Waller said.
Waller’s experience is more common than some people may realize. According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 22% of college students had taken an illegal substance within 30 days of taking the survey and that over a quarter of college students had a substance use disorder (SUD).
During the 2015 NFL draft, Waller was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens. He played for three years before he received a year-long suspension from the NFL for repeatedly failing drug tests.
A few months after receiving his suspension, Waller overdosed in August 2017 when he unknowingly took fentanyl.
“That was a moment that definitely opened the door for my life to change,” Waller said.
Waller spoke about the time he spent in a rehabilitation program following his overdose and emphasized how being honest with himself and others helped him in making a meaningful recovery.
“When you can get these things out and share them, you almost feel lighter emotionally, mentally, spiritually,” Waller said.
He also talked about other coping strategies he learned in the program that he used once he returned home, including journaling, meditating and taking walks.
“I may not be back in the league, I may not be making as much money as I was before, but I’ll at least feel good about the life I’m starting to make,” Waller said.
Before going back to the Ravens post-suspension, this time as a practice squad member, Waller worked at Sprout’s Farmers Market. He was later signed by the Oakland (now Las Vegas) Raiders ahead of the 2018 season, where he played in the last several games in 2018 and was given the opportunity to start in 2019.
“The work that I was doing in recovery was, I think, what allowed me to have the foundation to take that opportunity and capitalize on it,” Waller said.
Waller emphasized that isolation can be a major warning sign of substance abuse and gave the audience questions to ask themselves about people in their life that they are worried about.
“Are they around people on a regular basis? Do they say they’re gonna show up to certain places and they don’t?” Waller said.
According to the Mayo Clinic, financial and physical health issues as well as changes in behavior are additional signs of SUD.
For those seeking help for their substance abuse, Waller believes that people need to be motivated from within in order to truly make a recovery.
“People need to get tired of their own situation,” Waller said. “Even if they go down the path of recovery, but they’re doing it for a sport, another person, it will always fall on its face because it’s never about them.”
To close out, Waller reminded people that their mistakes do not define them and that they can live a fulfilling life despite setbacks.
“Even though we’re trying to walk a certain path, you don’t have to be perfect to have a successful life,” Waller said.
Substance Awareness Club president and founder Luke Bell was very appreciative of turnout for the event.
“This [support from students] is a full circle moment for me. This is a huge part of the reason why I’m sober,” Bell said.
The Darren Waller Foundation, a non-profit foundation started by Waller to help young people receive treatment for substance abuse, has more information about Waller’s story on their website.
Visit @umsubstanceawareness on Instagram to learn more about how to get involved in substance awareness-related events on campus.