Former Eagle Brent Celek is using his platform to support men’s health

Nearly eight years after retiring, former Eagles tight end Brent Celek is finding ways to educate the community. The Super Bowl champion is speaking out to raise awareness about men’s health.

“I think it’s important for men to talk more about their health,” Celek, 40, said. “I think it’s actually happening more. Like, I see it with athletes. I think historically, it’s just been something where men are supposed to be tough and you’re not supposed to talk about your problems and issues.

“And I think more and more people are starting to do that. And it’s good because it shows other men that they’re not alone. Other people are out here dealing with the same issues. And it’s OK, there’s ways to get through it. There’s therapy and there’s solutions to some of the problems.”

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Celek is partnering up with the incontinence brand TENA for a video series touring the streets of Philadelphia.

In the series, Celek challenged men to put their sporting mettle to the test. With a football, basketball, and a court on hand, Celek and TENA tested how confident each man would be in catching a pass in a professional football game and shooting a three-pointer in a pro basketball game. Afterward, they engaged in a conversation about their health.

In a recent TENA survey, 46.71% of men said they were confident they could catch a pass in a professional football game and 41.92% said they could make a three in a pro basketball game. Celek hopes they can bring that same confidence when it comes to talking about their health.

“Seeing others [talking about their health] allows them to be more comfortable talking about it,” Celek said. “If you see your peers talking about things that may be uncomfortable for them, but it works out, you think in your own mind, ‘I can do the same thing.’”

Celek battled a number of injuries in his 11-season NFL career, including torn labrums, ankle sprains, torn thumb ligaments, a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee, a torn right biceps, a double sports hernia, and a torn posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Since then, he’s taken a more hands-on approach when it comes to his health.

“I’m definitely more proactive,” Celek said. “When I was younger I relied on experts and doctors — and I still do now. But I would say as I’m getting older and we have access to everything at our fingertips with our phone, I’m more proactive in my own health. … And nobody knows you more than you know yourself. So I think it’s important for people to be proactive and to continue to look for things that will work for them.”