Steve Sarkisian Said Yankees SP CC Sabathia Inspired Him to Go to Alcohol Rehab

Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian credited a SportsCenter editorial by ESPN's Scott Van Pelt on New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia as the reason he entered a rehabilitation facility for alcoholism.

"I was actually at home on a Sunday night and I was watching SportsCenter, and Scott Van Pelt was doing his editorial," Sarkisian said Wednesday, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. "That night was when CC Sabathia had decided to go to treatment before the Major League Baseball playoffs. I thought to myself, 'Whoa, here's somebody who is like me, who is in a very high profile position in sports—ace pitcher of the New York Yankees—and was being relatively commended or almost celebrated for going to do what he did.'

"I knew I needed to (go). I didn't know how to go about it. But that thing gave me a feeling of, 'There's a like person that is going to do this. I know I need to do it. Now how, what, when.' So I made the decision to go do it. It's been the best decision of my life."

Sarkisian, 43, entered rehab for alcohol abuse in October 2015 after being fired by USC. He had multiple alcohol-related incidents during his tenure as Trojans head coach, including a profanity-laced speech at a booster meeting and allegedly showing up to team activities drunk.

Sabathia went into an alcohol rehabilitation facility in October 2015 before the Yankeees' playoff run. He had been involved in multiple incidents earlier during that season, including an altercation with a fan in Toronto. The former Cy Young winner returned to the Yankees in 2016 and has played without issue since leaving rehab.

Sarkisian remains in a rehabilitation program, of which the Falcons have been supportive.

"It's going great," Sarkisian said. "I don't really want to get into the specific side of that stuff, but it is going really well. I think, again, the flexibility that [Falcons head coach] Dan [Quinn], that we've worked out, has been one that has fit well with our schedule.

"It's a position where I'm comfortable with it. It is something that is daily, and there's varying degrees of what I do each day. But the reality of it is, it's gone really well. And I'm in a great place."

Sarkisian is heading into his first season as offensive coordinator for the Falcons after replacing Kyle Shanahan, who took the San Francisco 49ers' head coaching position.