GREEN BAY, Wis. — Jace Sternberger is working on it. Both on his game on the field and off the field.
The 2019 third-round draft pick out of Texas A&M has had a rough start to his NFL career. He sustained a concussion before his rookie season in 2019 and then suffered an ankle injury, sidelining him for multiple months. He played in just six games that year and didn't record a catch.
Coming into his sophomore campaign, he was placed on the COVID-19/injured list for over two weeks in the summer prior to the season, missing a big chunk of training camp.
Sternberger would record 12 catches in 12 games before he was sidelined due to concussions.
Then, in June of this year, the NFL suspended Sternberger for the first two games in 2021 for violating the league's substance abuse policy. He explained that he had drank alcohol while on anti-depressants in Feb. 2020 and fell asleep behind the wheel of a vehicle.
The 24-year-old tight end joined the Locked On Packers podcast with Peter Bukowski on Monday to talk about his young NFL career and also his fight for mental health wellness.
SUBSCRIBE: The Locked On Packers podcast hosted by Peter Bukowski gives you a daily look at the Green Bay Packers year-round.
"I was so embarrassed," Sternberger said on the Locked On Packers podcast regarding the incident that led to his suspension. "I’m very against drunk driving and I know people I’ve lost to it so it was just very hypocritical of me to put myself in that situation."
That time, at the end of his rookie season where he didn't record a reception and into the offseason, was a darker time for him.
"Some of the other decisions I was making were just adding extra stress to my life and I think that’s what put me in that dark place I was in about two years ago from the end of my rookie season into the offseason," Sternberger said.
Since that incident, Sternberger said he has been going to therapy multiple times a week which has helped him.
With an injury-riddled start to his career, he says it's about staying positive by surrounding yourself with the right people.
“Everybody thinks that we have to be 'alpha males', but it’s OK to let your guard down and be open and just communicate with people when things aren’t going your way or you feel like you’re not in the best position mentally," Sternberger said. "I’m just blessed with really good teammates and a strong support system from my coaches to my parents to my brothers and everybody back home.”
Sternberger delivered a lot of credit to Packers head coach Matt LaFleur for prioritizing mental health awareness and also veteran starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who encouraged open communication regarding mental health discussions in the locker room.
The Packers hired Dr. Chris Carr in April of 2020 as the Director of Performance Psychology and Team Behavioral Health Clinician. Sternberger said Dr. Carr has helped him personally immensely.
"Aaron (Rodgers) was a big advocate with Dr. Carr and just basically, ‘it’s OK to have feelings and it’s OK to discuss these things.’ I don’t think I could’ve gone to a better team to get help," Sternberger said.
Sternberger also discussed what it was like having his first NFL offseason during the pandemic, Packers second-year quarterback Jordan Love and his picks for the NBA postseason.
Listen to the uninterrupted interview on the Locked On Packers podcast for free wherever you listen to podcasts.
