After a public past filled with personal struggle, Montee Ball is working to move forward for his son and for himself

In 2012, Montee Ball seemed destined for NFL stardom. The UW–Madison senior from Wentzville, Missouri, was coming off arguably one of the best seasons in college football history. He had rushed for 1,923 yards, scored a record 39 total touchdowns and finished fourth in voting for the prestigious Heisman Trophy. Ball also carried the Badgers to a Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl appearance, leaving many wondering if he had a weakness.

He did.

Alcoholism. And Ball says it has long been woven into the fabric of his family. So when pressures mounted at home and from coaches and fans alike, Ball turned toward what he characterizes as “self-medicating” with alcohol.

But now he’s making a comeback.

Not on the football field, where he rushed his way into national record books with more than 5,700 total rushing and receiving yards and a whopping 83 touchdowns from 2009 to 2013. But rather in life, which has been anything but a walk-in touchdown since he left Madison for the NFL.

Story continues below timeline.

First Quarter

After careful consideration, Ball, now 27, is back on the UW–Madison campus. He needs 30 credits to complete his undergraduate sociology degree, which he plans to finish in 2018. This theme of forward movement holds true for Ball in many respects, as he aims to further confront his mistakes, share the story of his turbulent journey and continue to demonstrate his progress.

With his degree on the horizon, Ball says he is considering several business opportunities. One such avenue may be a career in wealth management — working with former athletes to manage their finances and advise them on investment decisions.

Ball’s huge game-day performances masked his alcoholism in a way that even his close friends, including former UW–Madison fullback and team captain Bradie Ewing, never knew the extent of his relationship with alcohol.

“I knew Montee liked to go out,” Ewing says. “But it’s nothing I ever noticed around the facility or had any worries about.”

Second Quarter

Everything still seemed promising for Ball. Four months after the Badgers’ third consecutive Rose Bowl appearance, Ball was drafted by the Denver Broncos, his favorite team growing up.

But the temptations of alcohol stalked Ball. He estimates that he got drunk four times a week while playing for the Broncos.

“I felt that I had an issue when I was going into the following morning hungover, and hopping in the steam room [or] hopping into the hot tub to pretty much sober up,” Ball says. “Then shower, just so the coaches couldn’t smell it.”

Ball was limited to just five games in his second season due a groin injury. The ailment lingered into 2015, and Ball was eventually released by the Broncos. He kept drinking. He had the opportunity to try out for multiple teams, but he declined some of their calls, instead taking the time to party.

By February 2016, the party was over. Ball was arrested after his then-girlfriend told police he threw her into a table at a downtown Madison hotel. He was drunk at the time. Ball was swiftly cut from the New England Patriots’ practice squad, which he had joined two months earlier, and watched from jail as his former Broncos teammates celebrated their Super Bowl 50 win.

A domestic abuse allegation followed in March 2016. And one month later, Ball was back in police custody for violating the terms of his bond, which prohibited him from consuming alcohol or being in a bar.

Ball ultimately received a plea deal, which committed him to two consecutive 30-day jail sentences, 18 months of probation, and mandatory alcohol and domestic-violence treatment. He knew he had a choice — either assume responsibility for his actions and confront his addiction or remain defensive and continue to avoid his problems. Ball says he accepted the deal despite his mother’s concern the plea deal would hurt him.

Third Quarter

Like many people struggling with addiction, Ball found sobriety difficult at first. With a nudge from his mother, Ball underwent further treatment for his alcoholism through intensive outpatient therapy.

Therapy has helped Ball understand why he started drinking in the first place, why his habits escalated over time and why he attempted to hide it for so long. In addition to combatting his addiction, therapy has helped Ball come to terms with the conclusion of his football career.

“I was so depressed because once my NFL career didn’t go the way I wanted it to go, I thought that was it for me,” Ball says. “What therapy has helped me with was football was a piece of my puzzle rather than the entire puzzle.”

Through this sort of introspection, Ball soon internalized the changes he needed to make to ensure a physically, mentally and emotionally healthy lifestyle. This began with a difficult, yet essential, “diagnostic” of his friendships. He severed ties with his party friends – those who valued him more for his stardom and less for the person behind it. He deleted their phone numbers and unfollowed them on social media.

Now 16 months sober, Ball is pursuing things he never had the time for when his life was on a constant play-party cycle. He has filled the void left behind by alcohol with newfound hobbies, ranging from reading to golf to the arts.

While this self-exploration has allowed Ball to recapture his essence, it is his 20-month-old son, Maverick, who has catalyzed Ball’s revival. Since learning of his son’s birth, every step Ball has taken in his recovery has been for both himself and Maverick.

“I hope my son is proud of me for what I am doing now more than what I did as a player,” Ball says.

Fourth Quarter

With his son, his girlfriend (Maverick’s mother), his family and the rest of his intentionally small circle in his corner, Ball is now focused on giving back to the community. He raised money with the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County for those affected by Hurricane Harvey. He also teamed up with mentor Bob Wynn to be a judge in his entrepreneurial, “Shark Tank”-style nonprofit for young people, called “Go For It.”

This school year, Ball is also making his way through local high schools to share his story. While speaking to students about making the right decisions, Ball plans to shed particular light on passion. As Ball knows from his time in the NFL, some things may not unfold exactly as anticipated. He also stresses the importance of having other paths to pursue, in case dreams don’t align with reality.

“He’s learned a ton,” says Ewing, Ball’s former UW–Madison teammate. “And I think that’s part of the process … being able to open up and share. I truly think his heart’s in the right place.”

Ball is also putting the finishing touches on a book, which he expects to be released next year. While it covers his life and his football career, Ball says the book also focuses on how alcoholism has shaped his family. Ball dedicates the book to Maverick, seeking to break this cycle together.

“I’m going to focus on building our foundation on love so, if the building crumbles down, we still have that foundation,” Ball says.

And while his transformation is by no means complete, Ball is a man in motion — continually moving forward by placing his own personal comeback ahead of any career, NFL and beyond.

“My therapist told me that I would not get anywhere in life by standing with my one foot in the NFL and one foot out,” Ball says. “He told me I had to make a decision, and I am very content with my decision.”

Brandon is a junior from Chicago pursuing a major in journalism with a focus in strategic communication, as well as a certificate in graphic design. Outside of Curb, he currently has three internships, serves as the social media director for UW’s chapter of Spoon University and has participated in Advertising Club and Advertising Agency.

In his (very limited) free time, Brandon enjoys playing and watching baseball, writing music, watching “Friends” and working on his study abroad bucket list for next semester, when he’ll be in London. After interning with the Milwaukee Brewers’ marketing department this past summer, Brandon hopes to work in the field of sports marketing or advertising.