Bill and Anne Benedict of Hamburg raised four children — two boys and two girls. Three of them ended up playing sports in college.

• Matthew Benedict, 26, took his own life after dealing with the effects of concussions in college
• His family started Matthew Benedict's One Last Goal
• The endowment fund is aimed at helping students and athletes with mental health issues through education and awareness

"We're a close family. We always have been," Bill Benedict said. "The kids are very close. Each one was a bigger cheerleader for their brothers, sister."

Matthew Benedict was a natural when it came to athletics and academics, his father said. After graduating from Nichols School as a top-notch student, it was off to Middlebury College in Vermont where Matthew was a safety on the football team and was chosen as a team captain.

"He had these leadership qualities. He was that type of kid growing up," Bill said.

His family called him the "Golden Boy," but it was during his junior year of college when Matthew first showed signs of harboring dark feelings. He told his mother about the difficulties he was having with a school project.

"And Matt said, 'I'm having a hard time. I can't concentrate. I can't sleep. I can't read.' And then that was when we really found out something was wrong," Bill said. 

Matthew took some hard hits on the football field — who really knows how many — and doctors determined he suffered at least two concussions and diagnosed him with post-concussion syndrome. 

"He wasn't the same person," Bill said.

The young man who on the outside seemed to have everything come so easy was now struggling inside. Anxiety, depression, thoughts of suicide. After graduating with an economics degree from Middlebury in 2015, Matthew wrote a blog post about his problems with mental health. He wrote in part:

These times have been the scariest of my life and lasted many months. Not scary because I was actually scared, but scary because I felt nothing at all. 

Bill Benedict was stunned and scared by what he read.

"That's your son. And to find out that he's dealing with something like that, it was tough on us," Bill said.

Matt and his family sought help from counselors. Through his issues, he was a University at Buffalo law student, and had a summer internship at a local law firm. The people close to him thought he was going in the right direction.

On July 1, however, Matthew Benedict took his own life. He was 26 years old. His family is still searching for answers. 

"We have an immense about of guilt that we carry. Could we have done more? Why didn't we do more? Why didn't we help him more?" Bill wonders.

While Matthew hid the true depths of his pain, he wasn't afraid to speak up about the importance of mental health. That's why just one day after his death his family honored him by starting Matthew Benedict's One Last Goal, an endowment fund to support students and athletes like Matthew deal with mental health issues.

People can donate to the endowment fund through the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo and online. The Benedicts say they've already heard from many people who'd like to join their cause, and they're starting to plan some events surrounding mental health awareness.

"To help those that need help understand that it's OK to come out and ask for help," Bill said. "Let's start the conversation. Let's be open. Let's be transparent. Let's not be afraid."

If you or someone you know is struggling, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline anytime at 1-800-273-8255. In the Buffalo region, Crisis Services is available at 716-834-3131.