Drew Robinson is a former Major League Baseball player, mental health advocate, and professional speaker. Born and raised in Las Vegas, NV, Drew was drafted by the Texas Rangers out of high school and went on to play parts of 12 seasons with the Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Francisco Giants organizations. In 2020, Drew miraculously survived a suicide attempt resulting in a new-found purpose of helping others and destigmatizing mental health. Leveraging his tagline, Strength Isn’t Always Physical, Drew is dedicated to sharing his journey and showcasing vulnerability to prevent suicide and promote mental health care.  Drew currently works in the mental health & wellness department with the San Francisco Giants where he advocates for player mental health and peer-to-peer support. Follow Drew on Instagram @Drewrobbb.

Synopsis

The SUU Eccles APEX presentation on October 31 featured mental health advocate and former Major League Baseball player Drew Robinson. His presentation was titled “Strength Isn’t Always Physical”. 

Drew Robinson was drafted by the Texas Rangers out of high school, and played parts of 12 seasons with the Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Francisco Giants, whom he currently works with as a Mental Health Advocate. In 2020, he miraculously survived a suicide attempt, resulting in a newfound purpose of de-strigmatizing mental health and helping others. 

Robinson began his talk stating that he’d “learned the hardest way possible just how universal struggles can be”. He said his passion is to share his story in hopes to “be a reminder, be a signal, be a starting line for somebody or extra encouragement to maybe start their mental health journey”. 

Robinson was very candid about his personal mental health struggles, noting that the first “imprint” followed his parent’s divorce when he was 9. He discussed one of the biggest lessons he’d learned: to talk it out. He said that “it’s something that allows a level of connection that really goes unmatched”. He pointed out another important note, which is identity-based thinking. He asked why can’t the dialogue change to “I experience depressive symptoms sometimes” versus “I am depressed”. Robinson summed his stance up quite concisely, saying “people would rather hear from you than about you”

The remainder of his time was spent doing a Q&A with Robinson’s long-time friend and SUU Stem Center Director, Dylan Kirklin. Robinson talked about the steps he’s taken to love himself, saying he learned to start “doing it because it’s not an act, but because that’s who I am, and having a level of acceptance”, and “realizing that I am somebody that deserves love just like I try to give to other people that I love”. 

Robinson also discussed humor as a strength and coping mechanism, his service dog Ellie who he calls his “natural antidepressant”, stories from Kirklin and Robinson’s high school years, and emotional strengths.

Robinson talked about his unique role as a Mental Health Advocate in major league sports, simply stating his role is being “a mental health translator”. He was candid in his journey, saying one of his biggest regrets was “not letting anybody know how hard I was trying to cover up this unrealistic version of myself that I thought existed”. 

Robinson praised his support system, further encouraging open, genuine connection with those you love. The Q&A finished with a discussion about goals and confidence. Robinson stated “I was constantly trying to be what I thought a confident person would be, rather than just being confident”. He finished with stating that vulnerability is the key to confidence and setting goals with confidence.