Athletes and Their Discontents

When Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth stomped on the head of Cowboys lineman Andre Gurode in 2006, many people wondered, "What the hell was he thinking?" And while most soon forgot about it and went back to watching 300-pound men hit each other, Seth Wickersham set about finding out the answer.

"It was almost in slow motion, a flash." Haynesworth told Wickersham about the incident. "There was no crowd noise. There was nothing. I had to lose it. I just had to." Haynesworth had felt that Gurode was targeting his surgically repaired left knee, and played most of the game in a blind rage. The NFL has since forced him to see a therapist about his anger issues, but Haynesworth is still one of the most feared defenders in the league, having led the Titans to an NFL-best 13-3 record this season.

The psychic disconnect isn't lost on Wickersham. He tells Gelf, "I saw a guy who was mining his psyche to discover why he committed such an atrocious act while visiting a pass-rush specialist who was teaching him how to break people's ribs and arms. Those treatments are at odds."