Dilfer praises Hasselbeck for helping 'save my life'

For those who have spent time around Matt Hasselbeck, it is readily evident that he is "quality people," as the saying goes.

But Trent Dilfer, who was the analyst on ESPN's telecast of the Cardinals-Titans game Thursday night, Hasselbeck is even more than that. Hasselbeck helped Dilfer get through one of the darkest periods of his life following the death of Dilfer's 5-year-old son in 2003 when he and Hasselbeck were both with the Seattle Seahawks.

"(Hasselbeck was) walking me through the most difficult time of my life. I mean I was a mess," Dilfer told USA Today. "I'll be very transparent. I mean I was 265 pounds and drinking myself to sleep. I'm depressed, my wife's going, 'What's going on?' And it's that guy, Matthew Hasselbeck, that says, 'This is over. I love you too much to let you do this to yourself. You need to come back up to Seattle.' And I credit Matthew Hasselbeck for the type of father I am, the type of husband I am, because he really saved my life in 2003."

Hasselbeck, now mentoring Jake Locker with the Titans, received high praise from Locker as well, who called their friendship a "blessing" and saying he has learned more from Hasselbeck off the field than on.

Or as Dilfer said of Hasselbeck, "The man has such a soul, such a heart ... (he) truly is one of the greatest people in the NFL."

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Terry McCormick covers the Titans for TitanInsider.com

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