Six years ago, Brian Dawkins shared one of his most personal struggles during his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speech. Life weighed heavily on Dawkins during the early part of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles, as he admitted to dealing with depression and suicidal thoughts as a rookie. It was a vulnerable revelation, one Dawkins said he chose to make public after prayer and reflection.

Dawkins said he grew as a person through those times, and since that speech, he has been active in encouraging others with similar stories. As of late, Dawkins has been delivering a message to veterans regarding mental health and suicide prevention. He's teamed with multiple organizations to bring awareness to the cause. He's also stressed the importance of connecting with others for support.

On Veterans Day, as multiple military representatives from the United States Armed Forces receive well-deserved recognition, Dawkins' message reverberates.

"I have too much now to hold to myself," said Dawkins, a second-round pick in the 1996 NFL Draft who became one of the best safeties of his generation. "If I kept everything that I know to myself, I would be an extremely selfish individual.

"I want to share as much as I can with whomever needs to hear the words that come out of my mouth so that they can see life differently."

Dawkins is very passionate about the cause, so much that he prefers the term "cerebral wellness" over "mental health," primarily because he said growing up, using the word "mental" to discuss a person had a negative connotation. His desire to work with veterans comes from being a part of a family that has a military history dating back to the Civil War.

Dawkins wanted to find a way to thank all veterans for their service, and he recognized parallels between football and the military.

"The discipline, the team effort, the team dynamic that it takes to do specific things, the training ... all of those things are similar mindsets," he said.

Dawkins' messages come with reverence. He played 16 seasons in the NFL -- the first 13 with the Eagles and the last three with the Denver Broncos -- as a fierce competitor in the secondary. Dawkins was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and a member of the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team. Philadelphia retired his No. 20 jersey in 2012.

According to Face the Fight, a coalition of corporations that works with the military community to raise awareness for suicide prevention, the suicide rate for veterans is 57 percent higher than the national average. Additionally, more than 120,000 veterans have committed suicide since 2001.

Dawkins recently participated in a 5K ruck march, where he carried a 50-pound backpack to symbolize the mental and emotional weight veterans carry. Dawkins said there was a moment at the march that brought him back to the days of sitting in a team meeting.

"That respect level ... it's a similar thing when the head coach comes out," Dawkins said. "There's so many similarities to some of the mindsets that are needed for our veterans who go out to do what they do."

Another connection between football and the military, Dawkins said, is the need to find community after retirement. Dawkins maintains his "cerebral wellness" by staying in contact with people strictly for social interaction and emotional support. He said he has a small group he relies on.

"Sometimes, it's as simple as a text, 'Pray for your boy,' and I know that they're going to pray for me," Dawkins said. "I know that they're going to send me some messages back, some scriptures. When you step away from the game, your schedule changes tremendously from those who are still playing. You have to begin to look outside of the game of football to find those people that you can connect with."

Finding the right support group eventually led to Dawkins pursuing a Hall of Fame career. His wife, Connie, encouraged him to seek professional help early in his career. He also leaned on the likes of then-Eagles defensive coordinator Emmitt Thomas.

Dawkins said when he spoke about his struggles at his 2018 Hall of Fame induction, suicide and mental health weren't topics discussed as freely as they are now. He said had he not grown through his trauma, he would have missed out on a lot of life lessons and not been able to use his platform to help others.

"Oftentimes, (trauma) is something we need to just be able to talk about -- the trauma that we've seen, the trauma that we experience -- and get it out of us," Dawkins said. "That sometimes relieves some things. We're not supposed to hold on to that stuff. We're supposed to give it away and let the Lord have it.

"And then we move forward with the wisdom of the positive things that we grab from that experience."