Overview
With the Super Bowl lighting up screens this weekend, football metaphors are everywhere. But beneath the bright lights and highlight reels is a quieter truth every great team understands: games are won in the trenches, by a defensive line that protects, communicates, and does its job together.
In this timely episode of Headspace for the Workplace, Chris and Martha Thomas — parents, advocates, and founders of The Defensive Line — share how this metaphor was forged through both professional football and profound personal loss. Their son Solomon is an NFL defensive lineman, and their family also knows the devastating impact of suicide through the loss of their precious daughter and sister, Ella, who died at age 24.
Drawing from life on and off the field, Chris and Martha offer a powerful and practical framework for workplace suicide prevention and mental health leadership. This conversation is about game plans, getting reps in, and shared responsibility, because when pressure is high and the stakes are real, protection doesn’t happen by accident; it happens by design.
The Defensive Line Metaphor: Why It Works at Work
In football, the defensive line isn’t about glory or heroics. It’s about:
Holding the line
Trusting your teammates
Knowing your assignment
Stepping in when there’s a gap
Chris and Martha translate this directly to the workplace:
Suicide prevention doesn’t belong to one person or one department. It belongs to the system.
Just like on the field, when roles are unclear or someone is left isolated, the whole team becomes vulnerable.
The Game Plan: What Leaders Need Before the Pressure Hits
Every successful team prepares long before game day. That preparation includes:
Clear roles
Repetition
Communication under stress
Workplaces are no different. Leaders don’t rise to the occasion; they fall back on what they’ve practiced.
This episode helps leaders move from awareness to action with two tactical takeaways they can put into play immediately.
Two Tactical Takeaways for Workplace Leaders
1. Think of the Defensive Line as a Workplace Metaphor
What to do:
Clearly define who plays a role in protection at work (leaders, peers, safety professionals, HR, unions, and external partners).
Normalize that no one needs to be a mental health expert. The assignment is to notice, care, and connect.
Why it matters:
Reduces fear and hesitation
Reinforces shared responsibility
Prevents people from falling through the cracks
Reflection question for leaders:
If someone on our team was struggling tomorrow, would they know who has their back?
2. Practice Before Game Day
What to do:
Build short, low-stakes practice into existing meetings, huddles, or toolbox talks:
How to check in
How to respond when someone says “I’m not okay”
How to hand off to support resources
Why it matters:
Skills under pressure require rehearsal
Practice builds confidence and trust
Preparation prevents paralysis
About The Defensive Line
The Defensive Line is a national nonprofit founded by Chris and Martha Thomas following the tragic loss of their daughter, Ella. Turning pain into purpose, their mission is to end the public health crisis of youth suicide, especially for people of color, by transforming the way the public communicates and connects around mental health.
Through storytelling, training, and advocacy, The Defensive Line is guiding organizations from silence to strength and from good intentions to real action.
Learn more at: https://thedefensiveline.org/
As millions watch teams prepare, adjust, and protect one another on football’s biggest stage, this episode offers a timely reminder:
A strong defensive line doesn’t eliminate risk, but it makes sure no one faces it alone.
If you lead people under pressure, this conversation is your playbook.
Listen now and start building your defensive line at work.
Chris Thomas — Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Chris Thomas is the co-founder and CEO of The Defensive Line, a national nonprofit rooted in lived experience and committed to preventing youth suicide and advancing mental health education. With more than three decades of leadership experience in the corporate world — including senior roles at major global brands — Chris brings connection, collaboration, and strategic insight to his role. Chris serves on the boards of several mental health advocacy organizations and is widely recognized for his ability to inspire, lead, and bring people together around challenging but life-saving work.
Martha Thomas — Co-Founder & Chief Education Officer
Martha Thomas is co-founder and Chief Education Officer of The Defensive Line, where she leads the organization’s educational strategy, suicide prevention workshops, and D-LINES training. A seasoned educator with more than 30 years of experience, Martha draws on her deep understanding of how schools, communities, and organizations can build supportive environments for young people. Motivated by the profound loss of her daughter Ella, Martha has become a respected voice in the mental health space, speaking nationally about hope, resilience, and practical approaches to suicide prevention. Her leadership has shaped partnerships with educational systems, universities, and national advocacy groups, and she is known for her authenticity, warmth, and commitment to empowering adults to protect young lives.