Before Titus Young was arrested three times in one week, the free-agent wide receiver told a former teammate about the mental issues plaguing him of late.
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Detroit Lions linebacker Stephen Tulloch encountered Young on a recent Miami-to-Detroit flight and listened as the wideout explained his disorder, which Tulloch refused to disclose.
"He's aware of the situation that he's dealing with and he showed me a paper and we went over it and I looked over it, and I understand it," Tulloch told the Detroit Free Press. "A lot of people laugh about it and ke-ke-ke about it, but it's real. He has head issues, and the Titus Young when he came in as a rookie and the Titus Young now is two different people.
"It's kind of like when you look at him, he's looking through you. It's different. You can tell there's something going on in his mind, in his head, and I hope that he can get help."
Young was arrested last Saturday after allegedly breaking into a residence and scuffling with deputies in San Clemente, Calif. One week earlier, on May 5, Young was nabbed in Moreno Valley, Calif., on suspicion of DUI, but later was released. He was arrested 15 hours later for jumping the fence of an impound lot in an attempt to reclaim his black Mustang.
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At his Tuesday arraignment, bail was set at $25,000 -- down from $75,000 -- but the 23-year-old remains in custody at Orange County's Theo Lacy Facility in Santa Ana, Calif. Young's next court date is May 24.
"He has a problem," Tulloch said. "Ain't no question about it. We had some long discussions and he showed me some things and I was like, 'All right.' The fact that before he didn't realize it, now he realizes it.
"He just needs help. Basically he's reaching out for help. He's asking questions and he wants to be cured. And it's tough when people laugh at him and think it's a joke. 'Oh, Titus did this.' "
The Titus Young jokes are over. He obviously needs assistance and he appears to be in the early stages of seeking it. Whatever remains of his football career comes second.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
