My lasting memory of Herchel was a comment he made during an interview when he was with the Vikings. During the interview he made a statement regarding something about running the ball and getting into the secondary, which didn't come out the way he intended. He mistakenly said "...getting into the secretary." Now in view of his recent book, I'm thinking that must have been the Horny Herchel personality coming out at that time.

Well, yeah. I think we all kinda knew he had somethin' goin on up there. He's obviously a super smart and talented guy but he made some curious decisions.

Still, he was AWESOME in his prime. Always fun to watch defenders bounce off of him with that surprised look on their face.

As a psychiatric social worker who has worked in a mental hospital for years, I am familiar with Dissociative Identity Disorder, formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder. Most psychiatric health care workers, including psychiatrists, are highly skeptical as to the validity of this disorder, though it is listed in the DSM-IV (diagnostic manual for psychiatrists and others). I'm not saying it doesn't exist, but it is fairly uncommon and there are a fair number of folks who apparently claim to have multiple personalities who frankly are...well, fascinated with themselves. Still, I think it is conceivable that there are a number of folks who have issues with this. The cause is thought to be severe trauma - usually severe sexual abuse or contact with extremely violent, shocking situations (such as war) . It becomes too overwhelming to think about, but too upsetting to forget. So the mind defends itself by depersonalizing the event - 'this didn't happen to me - it happened to someone else or some other part of me.' Indeed one might speak of themselves in the third person. Not that everyone who does that has been traumatized. (Then again, Bob Dole was in WWII, wasn't he ?)

As a football fan one of my favorite players was Hershel Walker. I always thought (and still do) he also was one of the nicest, hardest working guys in the sport. I recall reading about his intense workout regimen, which even for a professional athlete always struck me as verging on the point of obsessive. In retrospect maybe this was/is his way of coping with life. Even in the later stages of his career, he remained in top shape. I remember his returning kicks as an Eagle, and even though he wasn't as fast as other returners, he had this way of keeping his balance, taking tiny steps forward as he ran, rather than big strides. Anyways, of course we don't know what he's been through in his life and this sounds like an interesting read.

Had to be some other 'Herschel' who was playing for the New Jersey Generals.

which " herschel " are we commenting on here?

I think that he is recognizing that he has mental illness. I hope that he gets the psychological counselling he needs.

Huh, that explains a whole hell of a lot.

Godspeed Herschel.

He did speak in the third-person - I vaguely remember that. Reggie Jackson could one-up him by coming out with three autobiographies at once.

But honestly, the tragedy with Herschel was that he ruined his career to start another football league. I'm not sure that was a wise choice - Why another league? Why another NY team? I'm not sure of the numbers anymore but he signed for something huge and wasn't it Trump's so-called money?

As all mental health issues, there is a spectrum. Autism doesn't corner the market on that.

A good therapist identifies, validates, and treats, and their patients thrive. A common tactic to discredit those with mental health issues is to assume they are "malingering" or "making it up for attention." Even more so when evidence comes out showing the contrary.

Another misconception that functioning must be impaired to truly suffer from a mental health issue. Kind of places them in a "damned if you do damned if you don't" situation. If they thrive, they must not have been sick. If they don't, well, they're too sick, what do we do with them then? Catch 22 that serves no purpose other than to marginalize.

For all we know he did have impairments, limitations, my brother has severe ADHD, never stopped him from running a successful business for 15 years. He's the definition of the word "multi tasker"

I think placing limitations on someone whose functioning varies due to a disability doesn't protect society, it limits it with marginalization. Waste of essential human capital.

I would trust Walker with my life, a hell of alot more than I would a CEO with an unblemished resume.

Back in the '60's when I was an undergraduate, I was taught that the movie Sybil, which was about a woman with multiple personalitis, was false, and that there was no documented case of multiple personalities. In those days, schizophrenia was often viewed in the public imagination as multiple personalities. Thus the famous ditty:

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
I'm schizophrenic
and so am I.

To date, I have seen no evidence that contradicts the teachings of that era. Everyone has many sides to his or her personality. Some people give in to one side at a time, more completely than "normal." It is rather self-indulgent in most cases. For some people, that level of self-indulgence is destructive to normal functioning,relationships and pleasure.

They need therapy to get "integrated."

Most of the posts here make me wanna puke. Fucking selfish, un-empathic ass holes.

Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional. From reading some of the posts here, I can seen that quite a few have yet to exercise their options....

:-|

Hmmmm....I'd have to say "BULLSHIT"!!!!
I've worked with patients with many different types of psychiatric disabilities and I'd have to say, people that are largely successful have really nothing wrong with them. Herschel would like us to believe, that with the stress of the NFL, he was able to hold it together and make the Pro-Bowl twice but still have a personality disorder that causes a distinctly different personality to emerge under periods of stress.
I don't buy it...
Look at Ricky Williams. He really has a social avoidant personality disorder. He has sabotaged his career at the pro level because he cannot tolerate being in the public eye. That is the distinguishing mark of a psychiatric disorder-it causes you not to be able to live your life without some overwhelming upheaval.
I do buy that he(Hershel) hasn't seen his name in print recently and he doesn't have any sort of pride to prevent himself from appearing on the Jerry Springer show.

I used to know Herschel Walker when I was a teenager working in a Drug Store in Jersey, and he lived in the Claridge House apartment suites. He was really nice, a friendly, warm, and humble guy. He always had the same personality when I saw him, and the personality I saw, I liked. I once asked him for an autograph, and he ran all of the way to his apartments and back to bring me an autographed picture for my brother. A sweet guy, and he always made time and talked and gave autographs to the kids who chased him around. From my experience, Herschel was a real class act. His wife was sweet too.

Takes a brave and strong man (Heismann winner & good guy) to reveal he's human & still overcame. Once again, he's showing what it takes to be great.

When treated, the skies the limit, it's the ones who can't/won't/don't know they need treatment we have to worry about