Real Life Jerry Macguire Sports Agent Struggles with Alcoholism

Yet another example of alcoholism damaging lives has surfaced recently—and this time it’s sports agent Leigh Steinberg, who was the real life inspiration for the popular movie starring Tom Cruise, Jerry Macguire. Steinberg is widely considered the first ‘super agent’ in sports, having represented NFL stars Troy Aikman, Warren Moon, Steve Young, and Ben Roethlisberger. But in recent years Steinberg has battled addiction issues and has recently admitted that alcoholism led to his several million dollar debt—and on Wednesday January 18^th his attorneys officially filed for bankruptcy. It is a sad story involving a once powerful figure in sports, but a lesson can be taken from Steinberg based on the way he is handling this tough situation. In his public statement he proclaimed that “I am responsible for my own addiction — no one forced me to drink — and in revealing my struggle with alcoholism, I am in no way justifying or excusing my circumstance. But I discuss it to provide context as well as understanding and inspiration to those who also battle addictive behavior. I surrendered to the reality that I was an alcoholic and my behavior was impacting family and associates.”

In this statement, Steinberg clearly demonstrates arguably the most difficult and most important step to take for an addict—surrendering to the reality of the addiction. You can only be helped once you understand and realize that you need help. New York (NY) and New Jersey (NJ) residents who struggle with alcoholism or substance abuse and are ready to make the commitment towards a successful recovery should consider the excellent and renowned addiction treatment right in your back yard—  Seabrook.

Seabrook is an internationally recognized private and exclusive inpatient addiction rehab and alcoholism detox treatment center. All Seabrook programs are grounded in the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). The Seabrook Model® of treatment includes a multifaceted medical approach to alcohol and other drugs including opiate detoxification, gender-specific therapy with special emphasis on relapse prevention, and family intervention services. If a famous and prideful sports agent can surrender to help for their alcoholism without shame, then you can too with Seabrook!