“It’s probably the moment of not wanting to be alive. I was prescribed Ambien from three different doctors monthly. I was happy I only had three pills left. It was the night of my DUI, my second one, I was like, ‘I’m just gonna take the rest of these and I hope I don’t wake up,'” Michael Phelps said in the Unbreakable with Jay Glazer: A Mental Health Podcast. In September 2014, the Olympian was arrested for his second DUI in Baltimore after driving 84 mph in a 45 mph zone and failing sobriety tests with a BAC of 0.14%. Consequences?

He pleaded guilty, received 18 months’ probation, attended rehab, publicly apologized, and was suspended by USA Swimming for six months. But amidst his battles against himself, Jaz Glazer, the lively NFL reporter who also trained athletes in MMA, worked as a shield. And their latest interaction is an example.

As reported by The Athletic, the most decorated athlete of all time messaged one of his friends on the last day of May as he became vulnerable. He texted, “Went to a dark place today….Going to bed now…just wanted to keep you in the loop … love ya homie.” This friend was none other than Fox’s NFL Insider Jay Glazer. And living up to the tag of homie, he messaged back within an hour.

“I love you for telling me! Need to talk?? I can if you need. PROTECT YOUR FORTRESS!!! You deserve to protect yourself. I f—— love the s— out of you!!! Call or Facetime if you need, I’m here for ya.” The man was ready to dive in and bring out the GOAT of swimming from the depths of whichever pool of bad mental health he was in. Michael Phelps and Jay Glazer first met 13 years ago.

Before the 2012 London Olympics, Phelps starred in ads, including a memorable Subway campaign.

During this time, he became friends with Glazer. Their paths crossed again in 2022 when the GOAT of water went on the NFL’s commentators’ podcast, finding common ground in their experiences with anxiety and depression.

“We’re lifelines for each other,” Glazer shared. The two have bonded so much over mental health that today, they have a group of loosely connected community of athletes and celebrities bonded for mental health support.

Michael Phelps, Jay Glazer, and ‘battle buddies’

The friendship between Phelps and Glazer turned into a lifeline during tough times with depression and anxiety. What started as a simple group chat grew into a supportive community of athletes and celebrities. Phelps calls them his “mental health buddies,” while Glazer dubs them “battle buddies.” Glazer remarked, “These are some of the baddest dudes on the planet.”

And it all started in a Subway commercial, where the two first met. After the 2022 podcast, they kept in touch, checking in whenever one of them began to struggle, understanding that sometimes they didn’t need advice or encouragement, just an ear. “Never once have we felt ashamed,” Glazer mentioned. “Never once have we regretted sending.” And the feeling is mutual.

“I can go to him and f— say absolutely anything,” Michael Phelps said. “I’m not going to be judged. That’s how it should be.” And Glazer started to see the contact as a ritual. One day, he proposed another one.

“Should we open this up to other brothers or other people like us that are struggling?” he asked Phelps. “F— yeah, why not?” Phelps responded. “This is awesome. Let’s form a community.” And that was it… The members today?

NFL head coaches Sean McVay and Dan Quinn, to former Pro Bowl offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth, to UFC Hall of Famer Mark Kerr, to The Rock (Dwayne Johnson). “What I’ve realized is when you show up for your friends, not just when times are good but when s— goes sideways, it also allows you to show up for yourself,” The Final Boss told.

A human step that might not need a lot of words… Don’t you think?