"For 14 silent seconds, Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall gripped the podium in the humid, windless area behind the Dolphins' Davie building as if he wasn't waiting for questions, but waiting for exactly the right way to say what he had to say.

It was an appropriate start to an unusual 30-minute media session during which Marshall, between long pauses, revealed that he has been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. He believes BPD to be the cause of the many personal and professional blowups that have formed the public image of a Pro Bowl player as troubled as he is talented.

Marshall said he wants to let people know about his own BPD to raise awareness.

"The longer that BPD, Borderline Personality Disorder, goes untreated the worse it gets as you all have seen my life publicly," Marshall said. "I would have thrown away my career, and there was a good possibility my life. I'm still suffering from the consequences of this. Another reason why I am so passionate it is because I may lose my wife still and that hurts me. I am a very passionate person.

According to the Mayo Clinic's website, "Borderline Personality Disorder [BPD] is an emotional disorder that causes emotional instability, leading to stress and other problems. With Borderline Personality Disorder your image of yourself is distorted, making you feel worthless and fundamentally flawed. Your anger, impulsivity and frequent mood swings may push others away, even though you desire loving relationships."

Marshall said he thinks his BPD kicked in heavily after his rookie season, 2006 after what he called "traumatic relationships with family members and a past relationship."

Though Marshall declined to be more specific, that's around the time Marshall's good friend and teammate, Denver Broncos cornerback Darrant Williams, was shot New Year's Day 2007 outside a Denver nightclub. According to witnesses — including Marshall — the events that led to the shooting involved several disputes between convicted shooter Willie Clark's gang and Marshall and, some testified, Marshall's cousin, Blair Clark."