Orlando Preds' Quinn Pitcock overcomes depression, video-game addiction in pro football journey

In the summer of 2008, everything seemed right with Quinn Pitcock. After a solid rookie season with the Indianapolis Colts, Pitcock was viewed as an up-and-coming defensive tackle for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
The reality was that Pitcock's life had spun out of control.
He spent most of his time in the pitch-black living room of his Indianapolis apartment, eyes fixated on a TV screen as his fingers feverishly pushed buttons on an Xbox controller.
"I'd go to McDonald's for breakfast, order a bunch of food, come home and play for 18 hours into the next day, then crash, sleep for seven hours and do it all over again," Pitcock said.
Four years later, Pitcock, who continues to battle depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and video-game addiction, is with the Orlando Predators.
"It's a huge set of challenges, born of, in my view, a brain that doesn't quite work the way everyone else's brain does," said Pitcock's friend, Kevin Roberts, a counselor and author of "Cyber Junkie: Escape the Gaming and Internet Trap."
"It's a no-brainer for someone to give the kid another opportunity in the NFL," Preds coach Bret Munsey said. "I think he could be better than half the guys on the roster."
Pitcock (6-2, 320 pounds) was a first-team All-American at Ohio State and was selected in the third round of the 2007 draft. He recorded 18 tackles and 1.5 sacks during his rookie season and was projected to compete for a starting position in 2008.
Just before training camp, Pitcock abruptly retired.
"I didn't want football to be a part of my life," he said. "It wasn't just football. I felt like doing nothing."
Pitcock said his depression manifested itself in an addiction to the popular video-game series "Call of Duty."
"I couldn't put it down," Pitcock said. "If I visited family or friends, I timed it down to the last second where I could still play another game."
His addiction worsened after his retirement. For three months, Pitcock routinely played for 18 hours a day before seeking help.
"I broke about four games in half, burned them, microwaved them, put a torch to them, letting my aggression out to get rid of them," he said. "But the next day, I was at Target buying another game."
According to GamingAddiction.net, nearly 4 million people in the United States are addicted to video games, meaning they play more than 40 hours per week.
Pitcock, who said his depression dates to high school, attended regular sessions with psychiatrists and psychologists and attempted to return to the NFL.
Pitcock was waived by the Colts in 2010. He also failed to make it out of training camp with the Seattle Seahawks (2010) and Detroit Lions (2011).
"[Quinn] ... had the success that eludes a lot of cyber addicts," Roberts said. "His anxiety and other issues were of such a great magnitude that he turned away from that success."
Pitcock's goal is to get back to the NFL, but he could see himself as a fireman. He said he's in a good frame of mind and is enjoying his time in Orlando.
"It's never in the rearview mirror," Pitcock said. "I'm trying to stay out of the house as much as possible, meet more people and keep myself busy." (source Orlando Sentinel)