What happened to Blake Anderson's 21 Y/O son? Revisiting Utah State HC's unfortunate past that catalyzed significant changes in the program

Utah State's head coach Blake Anderson was struck by a tragedy that caused a pain that might never heal in February 2022. His son, Cason Blake, committed suicide after suffering from mental health issues.

This came as a massive shock to his entire family. The incident followed the death of his wife in December 2019, after losing her battle with cancer.

Blake Anderson subsequently opened up on his son’s death

In a video released in September 2022 by Utah State, Blake Anderson noted that he and the Aggies program have dedicated the week's game against UNLV to promote mental health awareness. This gave him the medium to open up about his son’s suicide.

“Somewhere in the middle of the night when everyone was gone, Cason went to a place which was so dark, he didn’t want to do it anymore,” Anderson said. “He didn’t want to be here anymore … Our lives forever changed that morning. A piece of me, a piece of our family is gone, and it will never come back.”

Anderson expressed that he and his family had never noticed any signs that Cason had been facing difficulties at any point in time. They have been grappling with questions about why and how this tragic event could have occurred, encouraging depressed students to reach out.

“He never let any of us know. There were no red flags. There were no warning signs. He always made sure to tell you he was OK. If you are hurting, if you are dealing with dark thoughts, if you’re depressed, if you’re dealing with grief so heavy that you don’t know what to do with it: Please, reach out.”

Finding purpose in the midst of pain

Blake Anderson’s personal experience made him adequately recognize the fortunate position he was in. By openly addressing his own challenges, he could serve as a source of inspiration and support for his players, offering them a beacon of hope during difficult times.

“I needed to find purpose in the pain,” Anderson remembers. “If you’re struggling, it is okay to be broken. It is okay to ask for help. If it’s possible to stop it before it gets to that point, then we’ve gotta do everything we can to keep it from happening.”

Since then, numerous players have reached out to Anderson during their own moments of adversity and darkness, highlighting the positive impact of his openness and willingness to support his team beyond the football field.

Notably, Utah State and Blake Anderson have collaborated to establish the Robert Cason Mental Health and Wellness Fund.