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SOMERS — Former Green Bay Packers running back Alex Green shared a story of perseverance in overcoming his struggles with alcohol and substance misuse during a presentation this week in Kenosha.
Green addressed the members of the Kenosha-based Hope Council on Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse, telling of growing up with insecurities, trying alcohol and other substances as a junior college student. “That was the only thing that felt great to me. I kept doing it and kept doing it,” he said. “I was addicted to not dealing with life on life’s terms. I was addicted to running from my problems… I wanted external validation. I had no internal validation.”
Green, who was a running back from the University of Hawaii, was selected by the Packers in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft with the 96th overall pick. He was a Packer for two years, was a member of the New York Jets for 2013, and later played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2017-18. He said his battles just continued, even among other life successes. “I was still drinking, still drugging, even though I had this level of success that’s unattainable to most people,” he said, talking about his NFL debut. “It didn’t matter what situation I was in, it still took me wherever I went.”
It finally ended when he got clean, he told local nonprofit and community leaders, Hope Council board members, Kenosha County Public Health team members at the luncheon. Green ended his speech by sharing he is two and a half years sober, and encouraged everyone in attendance to “never forget why we do what we do and why we started in the first place.”
Brian Sheffler was introduced as the Hope Council’s incoming board president, and shared closing remarks.
Special awards
Three “Hope Dealer” awards were presented at the luncheon.
Laurie Kuhn-Cooper received the Spirit of Hope award, which recognizes a volunteer who “has shown exceptional dedication, spirit and enthusiasm.”
The Kenosha Firefighters C.A.R.E. program received the Heroes of Hope award for raising $15,000 to support the “I Am Special” program offered by the Hope Council, which supports children whose lives have been impacted by a parent or guardian’s substance use.
The Champions of Hope award was presented to the Kenosha Overdose Response Initiative, which is a collaboration between the Kenosha Fire Department and Oakwood Clinical Associates to respond to overdose cases and provide immediate support and resources for those who have survived overdoses and their families.
