Horse Tracks: Montee Ball opens up about alcoholism

Former Denver Broncos second round pick, Montee Ball, never fully lived up to his draft status and now we know why. In a post in the Sporting News, he opens up about his alcoholism and how it not only ruined his NFL playing career, but nearly ruined his life.

"All in all, I was very fortunate to play for the Broncos," Ball said, "They were my favorite team as a child. My ultimate goal was to play for the Broncos. But it wasn't what thought I thought it would be. It's a very lonely, lonely world. (The NFL) is a very money-driven organization that kind of takes away from the joy of the sport."

That business side of the NFL sucked the focus and the drive out of Ball's life and in its place stepped drinking. He developed a routine of binge drinking four nights a week during the regular season and some how kept it going for several seasons before finally being cut during the Broncos 2015 Super Bowl run.

"The disease had spread through my entire life," Ball said of his alcoholism. "I was super depressed and didn’t have anyone I could speak to out there."

After watching his former team hoist the Lombardi trophy from a jail cell, Ball fell deeper into depression and alcoholism. He hit that rock bottom in the Summer of 2016 and finally got sober. Now, he is looking to make a difference through his sobriety.

"I'm really focused on improving my image and relationships that I destroyed," he said. "I let down the fans, the entire University of Wisconsin and my family. I want people to know I am deeply sorry.

As someone who grew up with an alcoholic, I know first hand how damaging and how destructive the disease is. Not only on the individual, but on those around them they care most about. I am happy for Ball and that he is fully on the road to recovery.

Give the entire piece a read. It is definitely the best Broncos-related article out there this morning.

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