Cole Madison Update

[Patler]

The following might be just speculation, but if it is true could add to the reasons why Madison has had a tough time coping with his friend's death:

https://forums.footballsfuture.com/t...-cole-madison/
AlexGreen#20

SPECULATION ALERT

The logical jump some might be willing to make is that Hilinski used Madison's rifle to kill himself due to CTE related mental instability.

We know based on the SI report that a bunch of teammates taught Hilinski to shoot earlier that year.

Initial reports were that Hilinski used a roommates's rifle to kill himself.

Madison and Hilinski were roommates at the time and based on Madison's Instagram at the time, Madison was an avid hunter and gun enthusiast.

Not gonna lie, if my best friend went insane due to playing the game I'm going to start playing professionally, used knowledge that I gave him and a weapon that I left laying around to kill himself, I'd be pretty messed up in the head myself. That's a lot to unpack.

Again, just speculation, but the pieces fit and it would explain a lot of what he's dealing with.

This is the "guess" I was referring to when I wrote the following:

I have read a lot about Hilinski and Madison. It is easy to guess why this might have had an even more significant impact on Madison than on some other friends and teammates, and why he may have finally just needed some time without the pressure of a rookie year in the NFL to process and come to terms with it. Hopefully, he has, whether or not his future will include football.

except that it seems even somewhat less speculative and more impactful than implied in the quote posted by Joemailman above.

Various pre- and post draft articles of the type "things to know about Cole Madison" mentioned that he is a very passionate hunter who hunted whenever he had a free day, and would leave the night before off days and sleep in his car to get an early start hunting. He butchered and processed much of his meat himself, and often brought jerky and other meats to share with his teammates. The team all knew of his passion for hunting.

According to several articles, it was just the day before his suicide that Hilinski, who had no experience at all with guns, asked a teammate that he knew as an avid hunter to teach him how to use a gun, so this teammate and several others spent the afternoon before his suicide teaching Hilinski how to shoot and practicing with him. It is not much of a step to speculate that Madison was at least involved in this event and may have been the person Hilinski went to the day before his suicide in order to learn how to use a gun.

Later that day, a friend/teammate reported that a gun of his was missing. In fact, Hilinski had stolen it, but he spent quite some time helping others look for the missing gun. Was this Madison's gun? It hasn't been reported that I have seen, but again, not a big step to speculate that it may have been.

It is not hard to understand that if any of the above speculations are accurate, for Madison this suicide may have been even more impactful than the suicide of a close friend always is, because of the events the day before.

Madison signed his contract, attended rookie orientation, OTAs and the June minicamp. On June 26, the Mayo clinic study of Hilinski's brain was made public. Now Madison might have questioned if football was a cause for his friend's suicide on top of some personal responsibility he may have felt for it. Just a few weeks later, as a rookie Madison was being asked to move a couple thousand miles away from friends and family who could support him in his efforts to deal with all of this. Tough thing for an adult, let alone a "kid" in his early 20s. Tough thing for an adult having friends and family close to help him deal with it, tougher for a kid immediately moving far away to a situation without any family or existing friends.

This is not a question of "being a man", or being whiny or anything else. It is simply a very young man having a lot to deal with, and choosing a path to do so that some fans don't like. I say to him, "Do what you have to do in order to deal with it." I'm not in his shoes, and won't judge him. It takes a lot of guts to walk away from something that has been a big part of his life so far, just as he was ready to approach the ultimate level of it, not to mention the money and financial security he will be turning his back on.

It is unclear if Madison is being indecisive, or if the Packers are simply leaving the door open if he changes his mind. He may have told them "I'm not coming", to which they replied, "Well, in case you change your mind....." just in case he reconsiders.

[Patler]

I hope Madison finds peace in his head, but I’m perfectly cool without a “gun enthusiast” donning the Green and Gold. I’m sure Partial would concur. However, when Tex returns from his sabbatical, he’ll argue otherwise.

You have to admit, Madison would be a good fit for Wisconsin, Green Bay and the Packers, as much as he has enjoyed hunting to this point in his life.

[pbmax]

If the kid has other options, and is concerned about CTE and concussions?? Fine, just tell the team you're out, and move on with your life.

But playing the whiny, puddle of tears game doesn't hold any water with me. Seriously, stand up and be a man.

Do you spend most of your time arguing with people that exist only in your head?

[wist43]

Do you spend most of your time arguing with people that exist only in your head?

"I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do more is none"

- Macbeth

[falco]

"I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do more is none"

- Macbeth

whatever happened to retailguy, the big kool-aid dude?

[Sparkey]

I don't have much or any sympathy for mental cases, especially suicidal ones. If they decide to off themselves, the world is probably better off without them.

Such a simple minded comment. As someone who has had a loved one make such a choice, I can only surmize that you have "no clue" or you would never make such a comment.

[pbmax]

whatever happened to retailguy, the big kool-aid dude?

Wasn't RetailGuy the poster that turned out to be Joe who took over admin/ownership from Mad for a time?

He wasn't around much after that.