The Head Coach of the Armuchee Indians, Jeremy Green, has seen a lot in his 20+ years of coaching. From playoff runs to winless seasons, he’s seen the highs and the lows that come with being a football coach. Ultimately though, the lowest of the lows aren’t experienced on the gridiron. In today’s world, young adults struggle with more things than can be seen with the naked eye. Every year, one of the leading causes of death in 15-24 year-olds is self-harm and suicide. Green has seen those off-the-field lows, too.

Over the course of his career, he’s seen some of his own former players lose their battle with their mental health. In the past it’s been frowned upon, for young men especially, to reach out and seek help when they feel lost or when they feel like they’ve still got 99 Yards To Go and there’s no one in their corner.

To help change that stigma, Coach Green and his staff at Armuchee High School are issuing a challenge to coaches across the state of Georgia. The challenge, dubbed 99 Yards To Go, involves asking coaches to take one day out of their season to talk to their players and tell them that if they ever feel overwhelmed or in a dark place, they can come and talk to them or another member of the faculty and they will help them work through it.

Gone are the days when being “tough” and being a “man” meant you had to bottle things up and fight your demons by yourself. Sometimes toughness is knowing when you need help. Sometimes toughness is knowing that when you have to go 99 Yards, you need an entire team to help you get there.

Coaches, parents, and fans, we encourage you to accept the 99 Yards To Go Challenge and help us change the stigma that comes with young athletes talking about their mental health. It’s important that we let our athletes know that they aren’t fighting alone, and that they have a full team on their sidelines.