Kansas City Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel, general manager Scott Pioli and linebackers coach Gary Gibbs, who all witnessed Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher fatally shoot himself on Saturday, will receive mandatory counseling provided by the NFL, according to NFL's vice president of player engagement Troy Vincent.
Vincent told USA Today on Wednesday that the sessions would continue for three months, or longer if needed.
"We're always going to say 'I'm OK, I'm good.' ... No, we're not good," Vincent said. "Witnessing that kind of event is horrific. It's not about closing the door, not about being the gladiator, the tough, immortal football player that we've always developed into being. This is serious. This is a mental, visual image that we need to talk through, and this is OK."
Belcher fatally shot 22-year-old Kasandra Perkins on Saturday at the Kansas City home they shared with their 3-month-old daughter, Zoey. He then drove to the Chiefs' practice facility at Arrowhead Stadium.
A group of Chiefs players attended an afternoon memorial service for Belcher on Wednesday.
Vincent, who played in the NFL for 15 years, said the player engagement program provides counseling and education about issues ranging from domestic relationships to finances and substance abuse. Belcher and Perkins themselves had received counseling for their domestic problems, and some Chiefs players have taken advantage of the voluntary counseling available after Saturday's tragedy.
