Feliciano, who played ten seasons with teams including the Raiders, Bills, Giants, and 49ers, joined fellow NFL players Jordan Poyer and Robert Gallery on the panel “Unseen Work: Healing Behind the Highlights.” There, he spoke candidly about the deep personal trauma he carried throughout his career—including childhood abuse, family conflict, depression, and the loss of his best friend.
“You make it to the NFL and realize things only get worse now that you have money,” Feliciano shared. “I got into a bad phase with alcohol, marijuana… I was having suicidal thoughts.”
Everything changed after discovering a Joe Rogan podcast featuring Rick Doblin, founder of MAPS. That moment sparked Feliciano’s journey with psychedelics, including microdosing mushrooms and intentional DMT use, which he credits as a “lifesaver.”
He spoke about the silence surrounding mental health in professional sports—and how even mentioning psychedelics in an NFL locker room was once taboo. But he’s optimistic the stigma is starting to break, thanks to growing awareness and conversations like the ones happening at Psychedelic Science 2025.
Feliciano’s story adds a vital voice to the growing movement A4C supports—ensuring every athlete has access to all tools for mental health and healing, including emerging psychedelic therapies.
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