University of Pittsburgh Wide Receiver Tre Tipton Overcomes Mental Health Hurdles to Receive 2021 Disney Spirit Award
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., (Nov. 24, 2021) – From childhood, University of Pittsburgh wide receiver Tre Tipton had it rough, growing up amid financial instability, food insecurity and family tragedies, which often left him depressed.
But, thanks to a tenacious spirit, Tifton managed to pull himself out of “the darkness’’ and is now a vocal mental health advocate, earning him the prestigious 2021 Disney Spirit Award, given annually to the most inspiring figure in college football.
“It is a humbling honor to be this year’s recipient of the Disney Spirit Award,” Tipton said. “This recognition has been given to so many incredible people over the years, including my former Pitt teammate James Conner. I believe the challenges I’ve faced have come for reasons greater than myself. It’s my goal to use those experiences to help others who are enduring the same difficulties. You don’t need to go through it alone. Working together, we can change lives and save lives.”
Tipton will be presented with the coveted Disney Spirit Award by Disney Sports Vice President Faron Kelley at The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 9. The two-hour show is hosted by Rece Davis along with analysts Dusty Dvoracek and Desmond Howard, and reporter Jen Lada.
The show will be a stark contrast to Tipton’s surroundings more than a decade ago, when growing up outside Pittsburgh. There, his living conditions were unstable and he struggled to deal with one family tragedy after another, as well as four season-ending injuries at Pitt. That eventually led to multiple suicide attempts and turned a traditional four-year college football experience for him into what is now his seventh year.
But displaying the kind of internal fortitude that earned him this year’s Disney Spirit Award, Tipton eventually committed to seeking the help that he needed for his mental wellness as well as his physical health. And he’s helping to rescue others fighting similar demons with L.O.V.E. — Living Out Victoriously Everyday, a nonprofit organization he launched with a classmate aimed at providing mental health support for fellow students on campus and beyond. Tipton also does motivational speaking about mental health around campus, at his old high school and the surrounding community.
“We created the Disney Spirit Award to honor and recognize precisely the kind of indomitable spirit that Tre has shown in turning back from the dark places in the human mind,’’ Kelley said, “and his passion around helping others struggling with similar mental health issues is inspiring and likely helping to save lives too. We couldn’t think of a more deserving honoree this year.’’
Tipton is one of 26 winners of the award which was first given in 1996 to Rossville High School’s Daniel Huffman. Since then, prominent college football figures such as Tim Tebow (University of Florida) and Mark Herzlich (Boston College) have received the coveted award. He is the second Pitt player to receive the award, joining former Pitt running back James Conner (2016).
MEDIA CAN ACCESS BROADCAST-QUALITY VIDEO OF THE PRESENTATION AT THIS FTP LINK:
LINK TO VIDEO ON FTP SITE HERE: https://disneyparks.exavault.
Username: SpiritAward
Password: Disney
About ESPN Wide World of Sports
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, located at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, is the premier site for amateur sports in the nation. The complex hosts more than 100 entertainment and sporting events each year and has accommodated 70 different sports featuring athletes from 70 different countries. Designed to provide professional, amateur and youth athletes with experiences synonymous with the names Disney and ESPN, the 220-acre facility features multiple competition venues, including 16 baseball/softball fields; a 9,500-seat ballpark; 18 multi-purpose outdoor fields for soccer, football and field hockey; three field houses for basketball, volleyball, other indoor sports; a track & field facility; and a cross country course. The sports complex also contains a professional production center which produces content for the Disney family of networks and distributes programing globally through its extensive fiber network. For more information, visit www.disneysportsnews.com
(Story and Information Courtesy of Pitt Athletics , Disney and ESPN Wide World of Sports)
