Jaylon Johnson's Confession is a Lesson Worth Hearing

What we can learn from a pro athlete's struggle with sex addiction

It was the day after Thanksgiving, 2009. That's when we started our questions. That's when the holes began to appear in Superman's cape.

At first, when early morning reports came out, Tiger Woods was just a victim of an awful automobile accident, needing rescue by his wife Elin Nordegren. We didn't know that Elin's golf swing proved much more devastating than any of Tiger's over his years of dominance.

Tiger caught the scorn of many a fan over the following months and years. Some today still harbor ill will toward Tiger. His rampant infidelity marred his choir boy image in such a jarring way. We might have expected this from an NBA player or an NFL player, but not a golfer. Not Tiger.

By the time all was said and done, Tiger Woods was exposed for having numerous affairs. He was dropped from several sponsors including AT&T, Gatorade, and TAG Heuer. The fallout from Tiger's actions caused billions of dollars in lost revenue for shareholders. It turns out cheating on your spouse causes serious financial damage, too.

For his embarrassing failings, give Tiger credit. He (eventually) owned up to it. And while it's easy to cast the line "you're only sorry you got caught" in his direction, Tiger did fully own his indiscretions. He entered therapy for sex addiction. He made amends with family, friends, and millions of fans in a nationally televised press conference.

Tiger Woods’ story is the reason more people should be talking about what Chicago Bears’ cornerback Jaylon Johnson spoke about this past week.

During his press conference announcing his newly signed four-year, $76 million contract with the Bears, Johnson discussed his decision to attend sex addiction treatment last season. His moment of public openness is rare in any profession, much less the world of sports. But Johnson was clear about his desire, even as a professional athlete, to be vulnerable.

“We are human too. We go through things. Everybody goes through things. I feel like people feel like you've got to put a mask on, you've got to cover it up. Like naw, it's OK to go through things. It's OK to seek help. It's OK to be vulnerable."

Johnson credited his teammates for supporting him. He praised his family for always encouraging him. He showed gratitude for the therapists who helped him with an issue nobody wants to talk about.

Toughness is an attribute in sports that, at a certain level, becomes a forgone conclusion. People point to the Jordan “flu game” as the basis for pushing through physical illness. There are countless highlights of pressure-packed scenarios where the best players in the world express the mental fortitude to push through and excel. Not just to survive, but win. To be on top. But what about toughness in humility? Can the two co-exist? In fact, can they be the exact same thing?

Tiger Woods is a cautionary tale based on reaction. Addiction took hold, and instead of seeking help, he gave in more to his sinful tendencies and destroyed his marriage and other relationships. He eventually reacted in the right way, but the lessons learned were more gut-wrenching than even he could’ve anticipated.

Jaylon Johnson is taking, what seems to be, a more proactive approach. He acknowledged a problem (sex addiction) and sought out help. He didn’t offer intimate details about it (Did he cheat on his girlfriend? Was he addicted to porn?), but he didn’t need to. He realized a problem and sought help to get past it. That alone deserves applause.

We can banter about the trials of temptation and our predilection towards things that can be harmful. In the deep recesses of our hearts and minds, we all have something we’re drawn to. Jaylon Johnson, Tiger Woods, and millions of other people around the world discovered in vastly different ways their draw toward sexual pleasure. The harms of it played out wildly for Tiger. Perhaps less so for Johnson. But the recognition of the problem is the beginning.

It should not surprise us when our addictions come to light. God already knows about them. He knows the pull we feel to dark things will enslave us. The writer of Proverbs tells us this:

For the Lord sees clearly what a man does,
    examining every path he takes.
An evil man is held captive by his own sins;
    they are ropes that catch and hold him.
He will die for lack of self-control;
    he will be lost because of his great foolishness. (Proverbs 5:21-23, NLT)

Discipline is a requirement for any athlete to achieve greatness. Strict workout routines, dieting, sleep, etc. all take place so the good can become great and the great can become excellent.

For many athletes, the idea of discipline only takes hold when it pertains to their profession. But the brokenness of an athlete’s personal life is there, often hidden behind the scenes. It feels uncomfortable when we see behind the curtain. We don’t want our heroes to be the type of men who sleep around on their spouses. We don’t want our heroes to be porn addicts. We want them to be champions on the field and off it. In front of the cameras and away from them. We want them to embrace that same discipline in all areas of their lives.

Here’s hoping and praying that Jaylon Johnson’s vulnerability is a lesson to all athletes. The big money, the accolades, and the seemingly unending pleasures are not all they’re cracked up to be. And here’s hoping we as fans will applaud the men and women who admit their failures in hopes of becoming better.