Former Lions receiver Titus Young is entangled in the court system after being arrested four times this month, including three times in one week, and it’s clear to his father that Young needs help.
The NFL says it tried to provide it when Young was with Detroit, but Troy Vincent, the league’s director of player engagement, told Yahoo Sports that Young declined the league’s help.
"It was someone very, very close to him who was just concerned -- really concerned," said Vincent, who told Yahoo that his department made multiple attempts to work with Young. "Once we got the call, we sent someone out to meet with him …
"We were told he was not interested in support. We went to people very close to his center of influence, to reach out to see how we can support him. The response was of someone who is not open arms to being supported."
Young’s father told the Detroit News earlier this month that his son had a brain disorder and that his behavior had changed significantly in the past several months, particularly after Young suffered a concussion during his rookie season.
"When he's around us, his mind comes and goes," Richard Young said. "He can't really defend himself, and I don't want y’all thinking he's a bad person."
Titus Young, it appears, would have been a prime candidate to receive support from Vincent’s department.
"We can't stop and we won't stop," Vincent told the website. “But how do we engage with this mindset? What can we do? How do we engage sooner?"
Vincent also said: "We can reach out, which we have done. We look to assist and support -- to get him on track. We've reached out. We have been reaching out prior to his last incident. We've been working hard for quite some time in this situation. Everything is available to him."
