Going from a high school star to a college athlete is the dream every young player chases. For Tamani Carter, a standout student-athlete who wore the No. 3 jersey with pride, that dream eventually pulled back the curtain on the heavy, hidden pressures that come with life at the highest levels of collegiate sports.

Following the news of his passing in May 2024, his mother, Julia Carter, founded the TC3 Memorial Foundation. The organization serves as a lasting tribute to her son’s legacy while tackling the specific mental health struggles that student-athletes face nationwide. As Mental Health Awareness Month continues, the foundation is pushing for real change in how athletic departments and professional organizations look after the mental well-being of their players.

The story of the TC3 Memorial Foundation is rooted in the Carter family's lived experience. Carter was a premier athlete at Pickerington Central High School in Ohio, a program known for producing professional talent. He eventually moved on to play for the University of Michigan.

"In high school, he didn't present with any anxiety issues," Julia Carter said during a recent interview. "But when he went off to college is when he started to have some challenges."

She noted that for many parents, the distance of college life makes it difficult to gauge a child's true mental state. Carter eventually began experiencing seizures, which led to a separation from the sport he had played his entire life. This separation sparked an identity crisis—a common struggle for athletes whose self-worth is often tied to their physical performance.

Despite seeking professional help and showing signs of progress, Carter experienced a psychotic break in February 2024. He passed away in May 2024.

"After he passed away, we really wanted to figure out what type of support is out there for parents and students," Carter said. "How do we create something that can help support the current ecosystem and add to one of the places that we saw was the biggest gap—just in having conversations."

The statistics surrounding student-athlete mental health suggest that the Carter family’s experience is part of a broader, often silent, epidemic. According to data provided by the TC3 Memorial Foundation, approximately 33% of Division I athletes self-identify as depressed. Furthermore, suicide ranks as the fourth leading cause of loss of life among college athletes.

The foundation emphasizes that the pressure to maintain scholarships, perform under scrutiny, and manage physical injuries creates a unique set of stressors. Despite these challenges, only 10% of student-athletes seek professional help, a stark contrast to the 30% of non-athlete students who utilize mental health services. This disparity highlights a persistent stigma within athletic communities that prioritizes toughness over vulnerability.

The TC3 Memorial Foundation operates through a "collective impact" approach. This model involves bringing together various community organizations, healthcare providers, and athletic departments to create a unified support system.

The foundation has already initiated these conversations across several major programs. Last fall, the foundation partnered with Norfolk State University for an event featuring former NFL quarterback Michael Vick. During the engagement, Vick spoke candidly about his own mental health and the journey he navigated throughout his professional career, providing a high-profile example of the importance of wellness.

Beyond Virginia, the foundation recently engaged with the Clemson University football program and is currently developing a collective impact model in Central Ohio.

"We all have to work together to find solutions so that access is available across the board," Carter said. While she noted that some institutions, like The Ohio State University, have the resources to employ dedicated mental health professionals, many smaller schools lack the financial stability to provide similar support.

The foundation’s work also extends to personal advocacy. Carter advocates for a simple yet effective method for those supporting athletes, summarized by the acronym TRC: Talk, Recognize, and Care. The method encourages people to talk to athletes when they do not seem like themselves, to recognize what they are saying without judgment, and to show active care by connecting them with professional clinicians if the situation requires deeper intervention.

For Carter, the foundation's mission is intertwined with her own journey of personal loss. In addition to her son, her husband passed away in January 2026.

"It’s literally one step at a time," she said. "I am extremely grateful to have those clinicians and practitioners that are available and willing to support us through our grief journey."

She noted that the foundation's work has provided its own form of healing, allowing her and her daughter to connect with a community of parents and grassroots organizations dedicated to the same cause.

Looking ahead, the foundation plans to host its first "Mamba Day" in Central Ohio, using the "Mamba Mentality" to promote resilience and mental wellness. Carter remains hopeful that within the next decade, the model set by professional leagues like the NFL will evolve to ensure that mental health is treated with the same urgency as physical injury recovery.

"They do really well at general wellness and recovery when there’s an injury," Carter said. "But when that injury is not so visible, what are they doing to support that part?"

The TC3 Memorial Foundation continues to grow its reach, aiming to ensure that no student-athlete has to navigate their mental health journey in isolation.

The foundation will host its first Kobe Day on Aug. 24, centered on five Mamba Mentality principles: relentless work ethic, passion and purpose, continuous learning, resilience, and community legacy. The event will bring together former Ohio State University athletes to engage with 6th–8th grade students for a day of sports clinics, life skills workshops, and a community resource fair designed to connect with young people and families in central Ohio.