Montee Ball finds success after battle with alcoholism ended NFL career
WENTZVILLE, Mo. (BVM) — Montee Ball had it all. A legendary career at Wisconsin led to an opportunity to play for the Denver Broncos alongside Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning.
However, he squandered that chance. Ball’s NFL career would end quickly, and he would hit rock bottom shortly after when he landed in jail on domestic violence charges.
Since, though, Ball has rediscovered who he is. Now sober and back in the Madison, Wisconsin community, the former Badgers’ running back is living his best life as he shares his incredible rise, fall and comeback with others.
Growing up in Missouri, Ball attended Timberland High School where he put up numbers that may never be matched. During his prep career, the running back amassed nearly 1,000 career carries, rushing for over 8,000 yards and over 100 touchdowns.
As one of the top recruits in his state and the entire nation, Ball chose to play for a school which had a history of producing top running backs: the University of Wisconsin.
After seeing limited action as a freshman, Ball emerged alongside backfield mate James White as the two replaced an injured John Clay to begin the 2010 season. The Missouri native would go on to rush for 996 yards as a sophomore, scoring an impressive 18 touchdowns as the Badgers won the Big Ten and made an appearance in the Rose Bowl for the first time in a decade.
With Russell Wilson at the controls for the Badgers in 2011, the team’s offense took off, thanks in large part to Ball as well. He had his best year that season as a junior, racking up 2,229 yards from scrimmage and scoring an incredible 39 total touchdowns. The Badgers again became Big Ten champions and faced off with Oregon in the Rose Bowl.
Ball’s senior season would see similar success, as he rushed for over 1,800 yards and 22 more touchdowns, again helping the Badgers to a Big Ten championship win as a Doak Walker Award winner. He finished his college career with an eye-popping 5,140 rushing yards — still a top-20 mark all-time in college football — and 83 total touchdowns. His 77 rushing touchdowns rank second all-time in NCAA history.
In the 2013 NFL Draft, Ball was selected 58th overall by his childhood-favorite team, the Denver Broncos. However, his stint in the pros was short-lived. While he didn’t live up to expectations as a rookie, Ball did still rush for over 500 yards. In 2014, the running back played in just five games prior to suffering a groin injury which ended his season.
Ball would battle for a roster spot during training camp in 2015, but would eventually be cut just two years after being drafted.
I would like to thank the @Broncos for a fun ride…many lessons learned met some great lifelong friends! Head held high..
— Montee Ball (@MonteeBall28) September 6, 2015
Ball earned a workout with the Green Bay Packers during the 2015 season, and was eventually signed to the Patriots’ practice squad in December. However, he would be released after a domestic violence arrest in early 2016.
That point may have been the first time people realized Ball was in trouble, but it actually was a long time in the making.
Suffering from depression and anxiety, Ball coped by abusing alcohol. He showed up to practices in college drunk multiple times per week. The same events transpired in Denver and were noted by John Elway during Ball’s release from the team. Ball also claims former Broncos’ running backs coach Eric Studesville, along with the league, tried to help him out, but he didn’t believe he needed any help at the time.
The arrest in 2016 was perhaps the lowest point in Ball’s life. As Manning and the Broncos went on to win Super Bowl 50, Ball was sitting in a jail cell.
It wasn’t over yet for Ball, however, as new developments would come out of a separate domestic incident that occurred years before. Then, in April 2016, he was spotted drinking in a bar in Whitewater, Wisconsin, violating terms of his bond. This just a week after his son was born.
Days after, Ball had the first chance to meet his son. That moment combined with the downfalls of the last several years made Ball realize it was time to confront his issues. From there, his life changed.
After charges became finalized and he eventually served a jail sentence, Ball went back to school at Wisconsin, pursuing a degree. At the same time, Ball began to seek help, whether from his therapist, family, friends, girlfriend or former teammates — specifically White and Melvin Gordon. Ball has noted recently that Gordon does not drink in large part because he saw what the addiction of alcohol did to the former running back.
In the years to come, Ball not only turned his own life around through his sobriety, but has sought to use his story to prevent others from going down the same troubled path he once did.
Using his platform, Ball has become immersed in helping others cope and recover with their own struggles. The former Badgers’ star is an outreach specialist for Wisconsin Voices for Recovery, a board member of the Wisconsin Family Based Services Association and a member of the Recovery Advocacy Project.
In addition, Ball co-hosts a podcast with his brother-in-law, RJ Zimmerman, called “Untapped Keg,” which discusses those who have overcome addiction along with other mental-health issues.
The podcast is just part of the many discussions Ball leads about sobriety and mental health, as he is a frequent speaker at various colleges throughout the country.
In 2018, the former NFL player also created the Montee Ball Fund at the University of Wisconsin, aiming to get student-athletes more mental health support. He has also been involved directly with the university’s Badger Recovery program, seeking to help students overcome addiction and mental health.
Ball has an additional involvement as a member of the Overdose Day-to-Day Action Grant, which focuses on providing educational resources about addiction to communities of color.
To cap it off, Ball has also written a book to further tell his story and raise awareness. “Nowhere to Run” is a memoir that explains Ball’s journey from his deep low points to his impressive comeback story.
https://twitter.com/MonteeBall28/status/1421607466618458114
Ball is willing to share his story with anyone, whether it is through his book, his public appearances or just chatting on social media. However, he is also back using his voice in the sport he loves.
Before and after Badger football games, Ball can be heard on Wisconsin College GameDay, working alongside Alex Strouf to provide analysis on each Wisconsin football game. He may not have a desire to play the sport he once excelled at, but being able to remain in touch with football and his former school is another great chapter in Ball’s comeback story.
He also continues to raise his son, Maverick, as he grows older. Just a week after Ball’s first arrest, he learned he was going to be a father. Over five years later, it was that moment that ultimately changed Ball’s life for the better.
The former star has endured an incredible number of highs and lows in his life, but his sobriety has led to a comeback story that can inspire anyone.
