In Playing Hurt, a leading figure in the sports world--the quintessential "man's man," who seems to have it all--confesses his constant battle with depression and how it nearly cost him his life. John Saunders--stellar athlete and respected sportscaster--welcomes readers into the heart of his desperate struggle against depression: from insights into the illness's root causes to the nature of modern treatments, from both a medical and cultural perspective. His story unfolds as so many of our lives do--among family, friends, and colleagues--but it also peers into places we don't often discuss openly--psych wards and hospitals. Here is the honest story of a public figure facing his own mental illness head on, and emerging far better off for his effort.