NEWARK, N.J. – It’s okay not to be okay.

That was New York Jets Defensive Tackle Solomon Thomas’ message to West Side High School students as he spoke at the school’s auditorium on Tuesday.

Superintendent León and West Side High School Principal Akbar Cook welcomed Thomas, representatives of the New York Jets, STOMP Out Bullying, and The Defensive Line organizations to the high school for the event timed for the start of National Bullying Awareness Month.

“The pandemic unveiled something for me,” said Superintendent León. “Everyone has a mental health issue. We all cope with it in many different ways. Some of us get so confused by everything that goes on in our heads, that we make decisions, and we don’t realize the repercussions of them.”

To support students in a mental health crisis, Thomas and his mental health advocacy organization, the Defensive Line, the New York Jets, and STOMP Out Bullying teamed up to make $22,500 available to create a Wellness Room at West Side High School. When completed, the Wellness Room will be a supervised place where students can retreat from the pressures of high school.

“High school is a very hard time,” said Thomas. “I thought it was important for every student to have a place to decompress.”

Board of Education President Hasani K. Council expressed his gratitude for the contribution.

“The Wellness Room will be a resource that will encourage our students to take care of themselves mentally so they can be at their best while they are in school,” said Council. “I want to thank everyone involved in making this initiative a reality at West Side High School.”

Thomas talked about his own mental health journey – one that has been marked by incredible highs, like being the third-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft and going on to play for the San Francisco 49ers and the Las Vegas Raiders before coming to the Jets in 2022.  

“I was living my dream,” Thomas said. “Everything I ever wanted in life I was doing.”

But Thomas has also had very deep lows. In the midst of his success, Thomas’ world was rocked by the tragedy of his older sister, Ella, taking her own life in 2018.

“It hit me like a ton of bricks,” he said.

Thomas suppressed his feelings of grief, depression, and anxiety that set in after the loss of his sister – which is what he thought he was supposed to do as an athlete, as a provider for his family, and as a man. Bottling up his emotions led to what he called unhealthy “explosions.”

It wasn’t until he went to therapy that Thomas learned some essential truths about his mental health.

“I’m not supposed to be happy after the death of my sister,” he said. Talking about his grief helped him understand himself better. After he spoke publicly about his struggle, many people reached out to Thomas to let him know he was not alone.

Octavia Pierre, a West Side senior on the girls’ volleyball team, asked Thomas what steps he took to overcome his grief.

“That’s a very powerful question,” Thomas said. “I didn’t do it alone.”

His parents, family members, and therapy helped, he said.

Thomas added that he had not completely overcome his grief.

“The grief is never going away. There’s a hole in my heart that will always be there,” he said.

Thomas noted some things anyone can do to maintain their mental health, including being mindful of their diet and reducing time spent scrolling on smartphones.

He called up the students to be there for each other by checking in on one another, and asking one another how they are doing.

“People just want to be heard sometimes, so they know that they can be seen and they are valued,” Thomas said.