Jacksonville, AL - On Thursday night a free film is screening at Jacksonville State University. It shares the story of a local football coach struggling with depression.

JSU Counseling Services and NAMI Jacksonville are pleased to present the award-winning documentary The Charley Pell Legacy on Thursday, October 8 at 7 p.m. in the TMB Auditorium.

Ward Pell, wife of former JSU football coach Charley Pell, will be present to speak about her husband's struggle with depression and attempted suicide. The documentary will be followed by a question and answer session with Kathleen Miller, RN, BSN, MA, Coordinator for Psychiatric Services at Regional Medical Center.

The event is being held in conjunction with Mental Illness Awareness Week, which is October 4-10.

Pell served as head football coach at Jacksonville State University from 1969 to 1973 before going on to become head coach at Clemson University and the University of Florida. A successful coach on the outside, Pell struggled with chronic depression since childhood. After a failed suicide attempt in 1994, Pell became a spokesman to help spread the message that depression is a treatable illness before dying of cancer in 2001.

The 17-minute documentary by the Alabama Department of Mental Health and Retardation received honorable mention among documentaries at the 2008 Voice Awards.

For more information, call JSU Counseling Services at 782-5475.



 

 

 

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