Jay Glazer’s path to helping veterans
Jay Glazer, the NFL Insider for FOX Sports’ award-winning FOX NFL Sunday show, has a deep connection and admiration for the nation’s veterans. In fact, Glazer co-founded Merging Vets & Players, which works to match former combat veterans and former professional athletes to help each other through the transition into their new lives away from the battlefields and playing fields.
He shares his story and more as this week’s special guest on The American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast. Glazer’s connection with veterans began when the former martial arts instructor trained servicemembers throughout the world.
“I love the warrior mindset of our troops,” he says. “But I also looked up to our troops more because it is selfless. When we fight — in MMA, boxing or wrestling — we do it for ourselves and our teammates. But when you are in the service you are doing it for people you don’t know.”
Merging Vets & Players has locations in several cities and regularly hosts workouts and counseling sessions for the members of MVP both in person and virtually. Glazer’s co-founder is former Green Beret and Seattle Seahawk Nate Boyer, who appeared on an earlier episode of Tango Alpha Lima that you can listen to here.
When it comes to mental wellness and coping with the aftermath of suicide, Glazer implores survivors to reframe their outlook. “You have this survivor’s guilt, but we have changed it to survivor’s responsibility in our group. It’s your responsibility now to go forward and help out everybody else.”
In January 2022, Glazer released the book, “Unbreakable: How I Turned My Depression and Anxiety Into Motivation and You Can Too.” The book helped Glazer not only become a voice for many struggling with mental health issues, it also demonstrated how he emulated the power of Be the One, The American Legion’s mission to reduce veteran suicides.
Glazer recalled the story of a South Carolina man who had a three-day plan to take his life. However, the man took a wrong turn, ended up in a Target and came face to face with Glazer’s book. It delivered exactly what the man needed to bring him out of the darkness.
“I got back to my place, started reading your book, almost finished it by the second day and by the third day, I had no reason to kill myself. I packed up and went home,” Glazer recalls the man explaining what happened. In turn the man bought 50 copies of the book to hand out, and believes he has saved the lives of others through his outreach.
Glazer also talks about reuniting former POW Shoshana Johnson, the first Black woman to be held captive in U.S. military history, and one of her Marine rescuers. (Johnson, an American Legion member, was featured in this podcast episode and is also profiled in the September issue of American Legion Magazine.) “Don’t stop being a warrior once the uniform comes off,” he says in conclusion.
Also, co-hosts Stacy Pearsall and Joe Worley discuss:
• National Purple Heart Day, which is Aug. 7.
• An American Legion post renaming itself to honor a veteran with an incredible history.
• Why the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival ended its Army sponsorship.
Check out this week’s episode, which is among more than 260 Tango Alpha Lima podcasts available in both audio and video formats here. You can also download episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Play or other major podcast-hosting sites. The video version is available at the Legion’s YouTube channel.