Motivational and inspirational writer, Bryan Hutchinson is the author of several books about life with ADHD including the highly acclaimed, best selling "One Boy′s Struggle: A Memoir" and the author of the hilarious eBook that went viral "10 Things I Hate about ADHD"

Pittsburgh Steelers Jonathan Dwyer is a Positive Role Model with ADHD

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Last night I watched the Pittsburgh Steelers game against the Washington Redskins and it was an amazing game. The Steelers won!

It was amazing because the Steelers were controlling the game with the running game, something they failed to do for most of the last 4 years. It was thanks in no small part to the young running back named, Jonathan Dwyer. Jonathan was getting his start due to injuries to other players.

Dwyer so far has two games in a row with over 100 yards rushing. The Steelers haven’t had back to back 100 yard rushing games, again, in 4 years!

Dwyer is a great running back, clearly, and the Steelers find themselves lucky to have him. He’s so good that he’s created a running backs controversy with the Steelers because he’s only filling in at the moment, but that looks as if that may change soon.

This is all well and good, but it was during the fourth quarter that the announcer stated something that caught me by total surprise:

Jonathan Dwyer has ADHD!

 

What? I had to look that information up online and see what I could find.

I discovered that Dwyer was diagnosed with ADHD at an early age (5), and according to what I read he can thank the support of great teachers and coaches for earning a 3.6 GPA at The Georgia Institute of Technology .

That’s no small feat for anyone, with or without ADHD, and now Dwyer is running the ball for the Steelers as if he is still on a mission to prove himself. And, like so many of us, he’ll probably never relent in proving himself.

Good for him!

I had no clue that Jon Dwyer has ADHD and really, if it had not been mentioned on last night’s telecast I still would not know. There’s really not much information about him in connection with ADHD to be found online.

However, I did find a press release about him hosting a three day youth football fundamentals camp in support of neurofeedback treatment for ADD / ADHD and I smiled when I read this:

The key component of the camp however is the mentoring segments, which will encourage the campers to make good choices, reject negative influences and live a healthy, positive lifestyle.

I’m still surprised at how underestimated a positive attitude and positive influences are when it comes to coping with ADHD. And thankfully, we have someone like Jonathan Dwyer living the example of what a positive attitude can do, along with great teachers, coaches and mentors.

Here’s another quote from the press release:

“There are so many misconceptions about ADD/ADHD and my goal is to share my story as an example and encourage others. I want to do what I can so that kids in similar situations have the opportunity to learn and build their confidence. With the proper tools and support system you can overcome and succeed, if you work hard.” ~Dwyer

Indeed, Jonathan, indeed. Keep up the good work and continue to be a positive role model for kids, and even us adults, to follow.

The Steelers lead the way.

As many of you may know, Jonathan is not the only Steeler who has ADHD, Terry Bradshaw also has ADHD and we all know how much he helped the Steelers win 4 Super Bowls in the span of only 6 years!

Obviously, the Steelers are a great leader willing to put the ball in the hands of someone who openly reveals he has ADHD. It’s good to know this because so many must still keep quiet about their diagnosis because of the stigma.

While searching a little more this morning, I found another article on the Steelers Official Blog about Jonathan Dwyer and his ADHD, here’s another quote from Dwyer from that article:

Dwyer said it was the “greatest thing that happened in my life,” getting the diagnosis, because he could now move forward, treat it, and fight back.

The Steelers blog article also revealed that it was a teacher at Shiloh Hills Christian School in Georgia who suggested that the fifth-grader see a doctor and that’s how he learned what the problem was.

What do you think of Jonathan’s story? And / or tell us about one of your favorite ADHD role models. Share in the comments.

Pass this on!

~Bryan

IF you’re fed up with the STIGMA surrounding ADHD, get the free eBook (click here) about the stigma and the conspiracy, and pass it on.