Ernest Hausmann Comes Home, Confesses His Struggle

Ernest Hausmann has returned to Michigan’s football campus for a pro day, but this time he is not just showing off his athletic skills. He has taken the chance to explain why he vanished from practice and missed the last three games of the season. The story begins in November, when the senior linebacker stopped showing up to training and did not play in the final games. The coaching staff said it was a thumb injury, which had some truth to it because he hurt his hand after a defeat. Yet the injury was only a small part of a much larger issue that would unfold in the following weeks. During this period, Hausmann was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after a series of intense emotional highs and lows. He described himself as “a rollercoaster. ” At one point he launched a spiritual self‑help podcast, then booked a flight to Uganda to help dig water wells. The most alarming episode was when he impulsively enlisted in the U. S. Air National Guard, drove across the country to Oregon, and crashed his car. He nearly lost his life in that incident. He says he has no shame about telling this story and wants to help others by being open. He believes that sharing his experience can give people a better understanding of what he has been through and how he is working to recover.Hausmann’s background is already remarkable. He was the youngest of 23 children, born to parents with AIDS in Uganda. He and his family were adopted by Bob and Teresa Hausmann from Nebraska, who moved him to the United States. He quickly excelled in both football and basketball during high school, which led him to enroll at the University of Nebraska for a year. After Coach Scott Frost was fired, he transferred to Michigan, where he became a key player in the defense. At Michigan, Hausmann was reliable: 38 games played, two seasons as a starter, many tackles, and twice named to the All‑Big Ten team. Coaches praised his football intelligence. But in December, everything changed when he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and withdrew from the team. Former teammate Jimmy Rolder said that the coaching staff was trying to figure out what had happened while still needing to win upcoming games. Hausmann kept quiet about his condition for most of the time so that it would not affect his training or the team’s performance. Now, at the pro day, he apologizes for leaving the field and disappointing teammates, fans, and the community. He says he cannot control what happened but is working hard to improve himself each day, hoping that football and a chance at the next level will help him heal.