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The Herald Scotland
27-06-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Ex-NFL player retired from league at 30. His new calling? Psychology.
Thomas took it as a sign. At just 30 years old, he decided to walk away from the bruising world of the NFL to pursue a new career in a notably less bruising field: Clinical psychology. After seven seasons of pro football, including two as a go-to target for Peyton Manning with the Denver Broncos, Thomas retired in 2018 and enrolled in psychology courses at Nova Southeastern University in Florida. He learned about behavioral neuroscience, contributed to a study on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), launched a high performance and wellness company and, earlier this month, graduated with a doctoral degree in clinical psychology. It's been a welcome change for someone who, for so much of his life, was viewed through the lens of his athleticism and powerful 6-foot-5 frame. "That was the hardest part of being an athlete for me: I felt like my real talent was mental, but I wasn't able to show it, and I wasn't able to develop that side of who I was," he told USA TODAY Sports. "It's really cool to be able to have the (psychology) degrees and the training, to show that I have that side of me, too." Though Thomas, now 36, walked across the stage at graduation earlier this month, he said his academic training won't completely end until he wraps up his one-year clinical residency at Nova Southeastern's Psychology Services Center in September. He's amassed more than 2,000 hours of real-world experience this year alone - teaching classes, working in clinics and seeing patients in therapy between the ages of 10 and 71. "I've got to get some great perspective that I never could've imagined having," Thomas said. "Going from being around millionaires and billionaires to serving people in community mental health clinics that can only afford $10 for a session or sometimes no money at all. Getting to see that juxtaposition in peoples' lifestyles and their challenges, but then getting to see the commonality, right? "It doesn't matter what you have, it doesn't matter what you've earned. The experiences mentally and emotionally can be challenging." 'A big nerd!' Thomas never thought he'd come back to school - let alone to study subjects like psychology and behavioral neuroscience. He was a business administration major during his undergraduate days at Portland State, where he primarily played Division I basketball. After being drafted by the Broncos in the fourth round in 2011, despite having played just one year of college football, Thomas soon established himself as a major contributor with Manning under center. He racked up 12 touchdown catches and made the Pro Bowl in back-to-back years in 2013 and 2014. But after joining the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency on a big-money contract, the injuries started to hit. The Jaguars traded him to the Miami Dolphins, who cut him after one season. It was around that time that Thomas said one of his now mentors, a sports psychologist, invited him to sit in on some classes. By the time the start of the 2018 season rolled around, Thomas had decided to retire and move on to his second career. In an essay for The Players' Tribune announcing his retirement, he described the move as a "journey into self." "For me, stepping away wasn't as hard as I've seen it be for other people," he explained. "Even when I was in college, I was always interested in how I would do outside of sports. What would I get into?" Psychology courses quickly allowed Thomas to stretch his mind in new ways. They also opened the door for him to seek answers to some of the other questions that had popped up during his NFL career, including those around CTE, the neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated blows to the head. Thomas started taking neuroscience classes, in addition to psychology, and contributed to research about CTE in current and former football players, boxers and fighters. He said researching the disease actually somewhat eased his nerves, by illustrating cases in which former athletes had evidence of the disease without the major symptoms. "We don't know how many people may have had the pathology and didn't have the symptoms," said Thomas, who is also president of the Society for Sports Neuroscience. "So I do think there's a connection between severe symptomology and CTE, but from what I've studied and learned, I'm less nervous about CTE than I've ever been. Just because I think there's a lot of things combined in CTE symptomology that you can help with by staying on top of your health." Professor Jaime Tartar, who collaborated with Thomas on that research, said he brings a rare combination of skills and experiences to his work - an ability to call on his experiences as an athlete when needed, but also thrive in academic and clinical settings without it. "It's easy to forget that Julius had a career in professional football because he's such a thoughtful, curious and deeply analytical person," Tartar, who chairs the department of psychology and neuroscience at Nova Southeastern, wrote in an e-mail. "In other words, he is a big nerd!" The complexity of humanness Thomas said the motivation behind his new career is to help people become "solid from the inside out." He's fueled by the moments he spent looking across the locker room at a teammate and thinking "man, somebody should help that guy." But his experience in the NFL doesn't mean he wants to be known as only "the athlete psychologist." In fact, as he worked towards his doctoral degree, Thomas was struck by the common threads between athletes and working professionals in other careers - writers, producers, accountants, lawyers. "Being a human is hard. It's always been hard," Thomas said. "Study history. Read some of the most successful, high-performing people of status. Read their memoirs. There is no protection from inner struggle." Thomas is trained in the type of work that people often associate with therapy - the unpacking of past experiences or traumas - but said he is most interested in the part of the process that comes after: Helping people find new ways to level up in their lives or careers. So, in 2023, he founded a high-performance and wellness company called Optimal Performance, which aims to provide resources for everyday working professionals. He speaks and consults with companies and teams, and is in the process of assembling a group of experts who can provide advice on everything from sleep and stress to personal finance. "Every industry, every discipline has different sets of behaviors that help you be really great in that," he said. "I love helping people dial in on what are the behaviors that are going to help you get towards where you want to go, professionally. But then also, what are the behaviors that are going to help you create the vision for your personal life?" Thomas said he hopes to expand and focus more on Optimal Performance after completing his clinical residency this fall - the next step in what he called "a phenomenal life journey." He figures he's probably one of the few people lucky enough to play in an NCAA tournament game, catch a pass in the Super Bowl and wear a white coat as a doctor at a hospital. "I pinch myself all the time," he said. "I don't know how my life has twisted and turned this way, but I'm very grateful." Contact Tom Schad at tschad@ or on social media @
USA Today
26-06-2025
- Health
- USA Today
Julius Thomas left the NFL when he was 30. His new calling is a much less bruising field.
As his NFL career blossomed, Julius Thomas said he started having questions. Why was the team practicing a certain way? Why was the offense running this scheme? What was the philosophy behind it all? The two-time Pro Bowl tight end recalled pushing his coaches for clarity. But at multiple NFL stops, their answer was the same: "They said, 'Hey man, we don't pay you to think. We pay you to run.'" Thomas took it as a sign. At just 30 years old, he decided to walk away from the bruising world of the NFL to pursue a new career in a notably less bruising field: Clinical psychology. After seven seasons of pro football, including two as a go-to target for Peyton Manning with the Denver Broncos, Thomas retired in 2018 and enrolled in psychology courses at Nova Southeastern University in Florida. He learned about behavioral neuroscience, contributed to a study on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), launched a high performance and wellness company and, earlier this month, graduated with a doctoral degree in clinical psychology. It's been a welcome change for someone who, for so much of his life, was viewed through the lens of his athleticism and powerful 6-foot-5 frame. "That was the hardest part of being an athlete for me: I felt like my real talent was mental, but I wasn't able to show it, and I wasn't able to develop that side of who I was," he told USA TODAY Sports. "It's really cool to be able to have the (psychology) degrees and the training, to show that I have that side of me, too.' Though Thomas, now 36, walked across the stage at graduation earlier this month, he said his academic training won't completely end until he wraps up his one-year clinical residency at Nova Southeastern's Psychology Services Center in September. He's amassed more than 2,000 hours of real-world experience this year alone − teaching classes, working in clinics and seeing patients in therapy between the ages of 10 and 71. "I've got to get some great perspective that I never could've imagined having," Thomas said. "Going from being around millionaires and billionaires to serving people in community mental health clinics that can only afford $10 for a session or sometimes no money at all. Getting to see that juxtaposition in peoples' lifestyles and their challenges, but then getting to see the commonality, right? "It doesn't matter what you have, it doesn't matter what you've earned. The experiences mentally and emotionally can be challenging." 'A big nerd!' Thomas never thought he'd come back to school − let alone to study subjects like psychology and behavioral neuroscience. He was a business administration major during his undergraduate days at Portland State, where he primarily played Division I basketball. After being drafted by the Broncos in the fourth round in 2011, despite having played just one year of college football, Thomas soon established himself as a major contributor with Manning under center. He racked up 12 touchdown catches and made the Pro Bowl in back-to-back years in 2013 and 2014. But after joining the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency on a big-money contract, the injuries started to hit. The Jaguars traded him to the Miami Dolphins, who cut him after one season. It was around that time that Thomas said one of his now mentors, a sports psychologist, invited him to sit in on some classes. By the time the start of the 2018 season rolled around, Thomas had decided to retire and move on to his second career. In an essay for The Players' Tribune announcing his retirement, he described the move as a "journey into self." "For me, stepping away wasn't as hard as I've seen it be for other people," he explained. "Even when I was in college, I was always interested in how I would do outside of sports. What would I get into?" Psychology courses quickly allowed Thomas to stretch his mind in new ways. They also opened the door for him to seek answers to some of the other questions that had popped up during his NFL career, including those around CTE, the neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated blows to the head. Thomas started taking neuroscience classes, in addition to psychology, and contributed to research about CTE in current and former football players, boxers and fighters. He said researching the disease actually somewhat eased his nerves, by illustrating cases in which former athletes had evidence of the disease without the major symptoms. "We don't know how many people may have had the pathology and didn't have the symptoms," said Thomas, who is also president of the Society for Sports Neuroscience. "So I do think there's a connection between severe symptomology and CTE, but from what I've studied and learned, I'm less nervous about CTE than I've ever been. Just because I think there's a lot of things combined in CTE symptomology that you can help with by staying on top of your health." Professor Jaime Tartar, who collaborated with Thomas on that research, said he brings a rare combination of skills and experiences to his work − an ability to call on his experiences as an athlete when needed, but also thrive in academic and clinical settings without it. "It's easy to forget that Julius had a career in professional football because he's such a thoughtful, curious and deeply analytical person," Tartar, who chairs the department of psychology and neuroscience at Nova Southeastern, wrote in an e-mail. "In other words, he is a big nerd!" The complexity of humanness Thomas said the motivation behind his new career is to help people become "solid from the inside out." He's fueled by the moments he spent looking across the locker room at a teammate and thinking "man, somebody should help that guy." But his experience in the NFL doesn't mean he wants to be known as only "the athlete psychologist." In fact, as he worked towards his doctoral degree, Thomas was struck by the common threads between athletes and working professionals in other careers − writers, producers, accountants, lawyers. "Being a human is hard. It's always been hard," Thomas said. "Study history. Read some of the most successful, high-performing people of status. Read their memoirs. There is no protection from inner struggle." Thomas is trained in the type of work that people often associate with therapy − the unpacking of past experiences or traumas − but said he is most interested in the part of the process that comes after: Helping people find new ways to level up in their lives or careers. So, in 2023, he founded a high-performance and wellness company called Optimal Performance, which aims to provide resources for everyday working professionals. He speaks and consults with companies and teams, and is in the process of assembling a group of experts who can provide advice on everything from sleep and stress to personal finance. "Every industry, every discipline has different sets of behaviors that help you be really great in that," he said. "I love helping people dial in on what are the behaviors that are going to help you get towards where you want to go, professionally. But then also, what are the behaviors that are going to help you create the vision for your personal life?" Thomas said he hopes to expand and focus more on Optimal Performance after completing his clinical residency this fall − the next step in what he called "a phenomenal life journey." He figures he's probably one of the few people lucky enough to play in an NCAA tournament game, catch a pass in the Super Bowl and wear a white coat as a doctor at a hospital. "I pinch myself all the time," he said. "I don't know how my life has twisted and turned this way, but I'm very grateful." Contact Tom Schad at tschad@ or on social media @
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Somy Ali on supporting LGBTQIA+: You deserve safety and dignity
Somy Ali Actor-turned-activist Somy Ali has long supported those facing abuse and displacement. Through her non-profit NGO, she has worked closely with survivors from diverse backgrounds, including many from the LGBTQAI+ community, offering legal assistance, shelter, and long-term support. She shares, 'Some of the stories I've come across have been deeply distressing. Many LGBTQAI+ individuals come to us after being forced out of their homes or facing situations where their safety is at risk. There's nothing wrong with being who you are — but unfortunately, not everyone sees it that way.' Somy recalls helping an individual who faced serious threats due to his identity. She says, 'We were able to support him through relocation, provide shelter, and connect him with legal resources. He's now in a safer environment and working towards rebuilding his life.' Even after finding safety, survivors often carry emotional wounds that take time to heal. 'One of the most common concerns I hear is, 'Will you still help me if I tell you everything?' My answer is always — yes. We see you, and we are here to support you,' she says. Pride Month, for Somy, is a time to reaffirm this commitment. 'Back when I was a student at Nova Southeastern University, I helped start the first Gay and Lesbian student group there. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Launch Offer – SPR Gurgaon Homes Signature Global Book Now Undo That experience shaped how I view advocacy — it's about creating safe spaces where people can share, heal, and be seen,' she says. Each year, her NGO hosts quiet gatherings during Pride Month to support survivors, but the work, she stresses, is year-round. She asserts, 'For us, Pride is about creating room for every story — not just visibility, but belonging.' She notes that challenges still persist, especially for those navigating economic hardship. She says, 'Many of the LGBTQAI+ individuals we work with face multiple vulnerabilities — housing instability, lack of employment, and limited family support. While conversations around inclusion have grown, many still struggle with safety and acceptance.' Somy believes lasting change happens through empathy. She says, 'People respond to stories. When they hear what someone has experienced, it opens a door to understanding. You build bridges through listening, compassion, and respect. That's the only way forward — for all of us.'
Miami Herald
03-06-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
FIFA confirms Club World Cup base camp sites. Here are teams training in South Florida
Some of the biggest soccer teams in the world will be training in South Florida over the next 10 days, preparing for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, which kicks off June 14 at Hard Rock Stadium with Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates taking on Egyptian club Al Ahly. Hard Rock Stadium will host eight games and South Florida facilities will serve as base camp training sites for seven of the 32 teams in the month-long tournament, including Manchester City, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Boca Juniors, and Borussia Dortmund, FIFA confirmed on Tuesday. Let's hope they packed plenty of umbrellas and rain gear, as the area has been flooded by a deluge that began on Monday and is forecast to continue Wednesday with lighter rain expected the rest of the week. The teams training in South Florida are: Al Ahly (Nova Southeastern University, Davie), Borussia Dortmund (Inter Miami training facility, Fort Lauderdale), Boca Juniors (Barry University, Miami Shores), Chelsea (Nova Southeastern University, Davie), Inter Miami (Inter Miami training facility, Fort Lauderdale), Manchester City (Lynn University, Boca Raton), Real Madrid (Gardens North County District Park, Palm Beach Gardens). 'These sites and more significantly the people and communities that surround them will welcome the world's best, providing first-class environments and hospitality in support of the teams,' said FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström. 'The clubs, their players, coaches, management, staff and fans will build incredible connections with the local people that support them throughout the tournament. This is a consistently important part of any World Cup, and I can't wait to learn about the bonds forged throughout this historic event.' There have been no announcements yet of any training sessions that will be open to the public. Here is the full list of training sites: Al Ahly (Egypt): Nova Southeastern University, Davie, Florida and The Pingry School, Basking Ridge, New Jersey Al Ain FC (UAE): Episcopal High School, Alexandria, Virginia Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia): DC United Training Center, Leesburg, Virginia and Nashville SC Training Facility, Nashville, Tennessee Atlético de Madrid (Spain): Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California Auckland City FC (New Zealand): Baylor School, Chattanooga, Tennessee Borussia Dortmund (Germany): Inter Miami Training Center, Fort Lauderdale, Florida Botafogo (Brazil): Westmont College, Santa Barbara, California Boca Juniors (Argentina): Barry University, Miami Shores, Florida River Plate (Argentina): Sounders FC Clubhouse and Training Facility, Renton, Washington Monterrey (Mexico): Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California Pachuca (Mexico): UNC Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina Chelsea (England): Philadelphia Union Training Facility, Chester, Pennsylvania and Nova Southeastern University, Davie, Florida Flamengo (Brazil): Stockton University, Galloway, New Jersey and Wide World of Sports Complex, Orlando, Florida Espérance de Tunisie (Tunisia): Oakland University, Oakland County, Michigan Bayern Munich (Germany): Wide World of Sports Complex, Orlando, Florida Inter Milan (Italy): UCLA, Los Angeles, California and Seattle Seahawks Training Center, Renton, Washington Porto (Portugal): Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey Salzburg (Austria): Melanie Lane Training Ground, Whippany, New Jersey Fluminense (Brazil): University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina Inter Miami (USA): Inter Miami Training Center, Fort Lauderdale, Florida Juventus (Italy): The Greenbrier Sports Training Center, Greenbrier County, West Virginia and Champions Gate, Orlando, Florida Los Angeles FC (USA): Mercer University, Macon, Georgia Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa): IMG Academy, Bradenton, Florida Manchester City (England): Lynn University, Boca Raton, Florida Paris Saint-Germain (France): University of California Irvine, Irvine, California Real Madrid (Spain): Gardens North County District Park, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida Palmeiras (Brazil): UNC Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina Seattle Sounders (USA): Sounders FC Clubhouse and Training Facility, Renton, Washington Benfica (Portugal): Waters Sportsplex, Tampa, Florida Ulsan HD (South Korea): Charlotte FC, Charlotte, North Carolina Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan): University of Portland, Portland, Oregon Wydad AC (Morocco): Landon School, Bethesda, Maryland The Club World Cup will be played in 11 cities across the United States and the final is July 13 at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Tickets are available at and every match will be streamed live for free on
New York Times
29-05-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Should You Take Creatine Supplements?
Creatine has long been a popular supplement among athletes and body builders, who say it supplies them with quick bursts of energy needed for high-intensity workouts and helps them build muscle. But on social media, claims about creatine go beyond the weight room, with some users saying it can improve memory, help with recovery after concussions or other head traumas, or even control blood sugar in people with Type 2 diabetes. Is any of this true? We turned to three nutrition and supplement experts to help us sort it out. What is creatine? Creatine is a compound that our liver, kidneys and pancreas make on their own, but we also get it from certain animal products like red meat and fish. After it has been absorbed into the bloodstream and transferred to the muscles, it is converted into another compound called creatine phosphate, which our muscles use to generate energy, especially during high intensity activities like sprinting and weight lifting, said Roger Fielding, a senior scientist at the Jean Mayer U.S.D.A. Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. Because we typically make enough creatine to survive, federal health officials don't make recommendations for how much we should consume, and it is not considered an essential nutrient, said Jose Antonio, a professor of exercise science at Nova Southeastern University in Florida. Most of our bodies require about two grams of creatine per day to perform their basic functions. If you eat meat, you probably get a good chunk of this — about one to two grams per day — from your diet. But your organs also pick up the slack. They synthesize about one to two grams on their own, Dr. Antonio said, except in people with certain rare genetic disorders that affect their ability to produce creatine or move it around the body. Does creatine boost athletic performance? Most studies on creatine supplements, which typically contain a form of the compound called creatine monohydrate, have evaluated their effects on athletic performance and muscle growth, Dr. Antonio said. For people who want to use creatine for improvements in these areas, experts typically recommend taking about three to five milligrams per day in the form of supplements. In healthy people, creatine supplements have largely been shown to be safe, said Dr. David S. Seres, a professor of medicine at the Institute of Human Nutrition at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. Clinical trials and other studies have found that athletes who take creatine supplements can generate 5 to 15 percent more strength or force during short, repeated bursts of activity compared with people who don't take creatine supplements. 'This performance-enhancing effect is pretty well-documented,' Dr. Fielding said. Creatine has also been shown to help build muscle among people who do regular strength training. In a 2022 analysis and review of 35 clinical trials involving nearly 1,200 adults, researchers found that people who took creatine supplements while resistance training increased their lean body mass (or the weight of everything in their body except fat) by an average of more than two pounds. The trials involved different dosages of creatine over different lengths of time, from one week to four months. But are these improvements large enough to be noticeable or meaningful to health or exercise performance? That's the key question, Dr. Seres said. For competitive athletes, a little extra muscle or slightly better performance during, say, a sprint, could be the difference between winning and losing, Dr. Fielding said. But for recreational athletes, those differences may not matter as much. A small increase in muscle mass may, however, be meaningful for people who have low muscle mass or low muscle strength, such as older adults or those with sarcopenia, a condition characterized by age-related loss of muscle mass and strength, Dr. Fielding said. Vegetarians and vegans may also benefit from supplementing with creatine more than meat eaters, he added, because they don't eat the animal protein sources that are naturally rich in the compound. While their bodies may make enough to survive, they may not get the amount associated with additional muscle and performance benefits, he said, but more research is needed to confirm this. Does creatine help with memory, diabetes or other aspects of health? Scientists have begun to evaluate the potential ways supplementing with creatine may benefit people outside the sports realm, but the research so far is limited and the results are mixed, Dr. Fielding said. In a 2024 analysis of 16 clinical trials involving about 500 adults — some of whom were healthy and some of whom had conditions such as Parkinson's disease or schizophrenia — researchers found that various doses of creatine supplements improved people's memory and attention time, but not their overall brain function, including impulse control, planning and response time. While more research is needed, Dr. Antonio said, if you want to try using creatine for cognitive benefits, the limited data we have suggests that at least 10 milligrams per day may be a good place to start. Some studies have also hinted that creatine may help control blood sugar among people with Type 2 diabetes. And researchers are evaluating whether those with traumatic brain injuries (like concussions), neuromuscular conditions (like muscular dystrophy) or heart failure may benefit from supplementing with creatine — but more research is needed in all of these areas. Dr. Fielding said that people with kidney disease should consult a doctor before taking creatine supplements because the nutrient is processed by the kidneys and could strain them further. In fact, he said, if you have any serious medical condition, it might be worth a quick check-in with a doctor. It's always better to be safe when taking anything new, whether it's a supplement or something else, he said.
