While the stigma surrounding mental health has decreased over the years, it isn’t something that should be taken lightly.

For senior wide receiver Malcolm Johnson Jr., a transfer from Auburn University, mental health is something that can be addressed with just the start of a conversation. 

While at Auburn, Johnson created a platform for himself and other students to reach out: “Start a Convo.”

“It started at Auburn. I was just trying to figure out what I can do to help people. I would say I’ve always had a passion for entrepreneurship and was just trying to figure out what exactly I could do,” said Johnson. “The development idea took like a year or so to actually get it up and running, and now we’re here.”

The name is simple yet powerful. All it takes to jump-start your journey is to engage in dialogue with someone.

As Johnson has experienced, transferring to a new school isn’t easy by any means, especially as a student-athlete as well.

Training, games, school work, social life, alone time—you name it. Student-athletes have a lot on their plate, and that was an emphasis Johnson put on his platform.

“I think mental health is extremely important because student-athletes battle so many things throughout the day. You have practice, you have class, you have relationships; you have so many different things,” said Johnson. “Having good mental health is really important because you have so many things that you have to do throughout each day, and if your mental health is not right, then it’s hard for you to get those things done.” 

So far this season, Johnson has tallied 22 receptions for 203 yards and one touchdown. 

For wide receiver coach Erik Campbell, Johnson has been a joy to coach, as he welcomed him with open arms. 

“Well, we were very pleased and happy to have him because he’s a quality young man,” said Campbell. “Not just a good football player, but he’s overall a quality young man; he’s a leader in the receiver room.” 

As Campbell mentioned, football aside, Johnson was exactly the kind of guy and mind that he likes to have in the locker room. 

“It’s great to have that kind of young man. That’s why, in the process of getting him here, I knew that his mom, dad and family are quality people,” said Campbell. “That’s the kind of people who we like to bring here.” 

Often, when people think about mental health, they assume the worst when it’s brought up. But for Johnson, he wants it to be known that you may be talking about it and not even know it.

“I think people talk about mental health more than they even think they do,” said Johnson. “If I’m coming to you about a problem, I’m like, ‘Bro, my head is fuzzy’ or ‘I don’t know what to do.’ All of that surrounds mental health. Or if you’re like, man, I don’t feel like getting up today, like all of that is mental health.”

Why is that so important to him? Because you can’t run from yourself.

“I think mental health is in every conversation, I feel like, and that’s why it’s so important because you can’t run from it,” said Johnson. “You can’t run from your own self.”

When thinking about how football and mental health mix together, Johnson believes growing every day is a huge similarity for both.

“I think it’s similar to the fact that each and every day you have to grow. You have to take care of your mental health just like you have to take care of your body,” said Johnson. “Just like you have to take care of your training routine. You have to go in there and attack it, and I think it’s the same with your mental health.”

But what’s the overall goal Johnson has for this platform? 

“I would say the first goal is to make everybody aware of how important it is to have relationships. “Start a Conversation” believes that relationships are very powerful,” said Johnson. “Right now, in our generation, there’s a loneliness epidemic, and I believe that is due to people not having true relationships and maybe not having conversations like they should be.” 

An example he provides? Just one simple compliment.

“If I’m walking down the street and I say, ‘What’s up, bro? I like your shoes,’ or something like that, you have no idea what that would do to somebody that’s having a bad day or maybe thinking of having some type of day where they feel like nobody’s doing anything for me,” said Johnson. “They’re feeling bad about themselves. So, I think that’s the number one goal.”

To learn more about Johnson’s story and platform, visit startaconvo.com or follow @_startaconvo on Instagram.