TAMPA, Fla. -- On the eve of the biggest race of her life -- the Tokyo Olympics women's 400-meter hurdles semifinal -- Anna Cockrell called the one person she knew she could turn to who knew something about nerves and fighting self-doubt: Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Ross Cockrell, her Super Bowl-winning brother.
Ross Cockrell had watched as Anna Cockrell fought her way through debilitating depression, to the point that, she said, "In 2019, I didn't want to be here anymore," to become a two-time NCAA champion, earn her master's in public policy at USC and deliver the school's student-athlete graduation speech.