Nfl football players that are gay

But he wanted to find himself first.

"I was just afraid I'd be 30 and still not know who I am," he said. I really lucked out and have a terrific family, companions, and profession any man could yearn for.”

Byron Perkins

Byron Perkins, a Hampton University player, created history in October 2022 when he declared himself gay on an Instagram Story post.

They would do well to take notes from the great Vince Lombardi, who had a gay brother and once said to teammates of one of his gay players, "if I hear one of you people make reference to his manhood, you'll be out of here before your ass hits the ground."

Progress is on the way, even if it takes time. Yet for the third consecutive season, there will be none in 2025.

Carl Nassib was No.

16 and the first one to come out as gay while on an active roster. He told ESPN his declining play may have been due to the pressures of hiding who he was. He's served as a Gay Games Ambassador. He now heads the Ryan O'Callaghan Foundation, which "provides scholarships, support, and mentorship for LGBTQ+ athletes of all levels."

Dorien Bryant (2008)

A four-time All-Big Ten wide receiver at Purdue, Bryant was a college star.

He also recorded the final tackle of John Elway's career in Super Bowl XXXIII.

Tuaolo publicly came out in 2002.

He's now married.

Ryan Russell (2015-18)

Russell isn't gay. He's said he had constant anxiety during his career over fears of being outed. You are gladiators; you are male; you kick butt."

Jeff Rohrer (1982-89)

What would you say if I told you a former Dallas Cowboy married the man of his dreams?

He was the first major professional athlete to come out in any sport. His writing has appeared in numerous major outlets and in 2014, he became the NFL's first LGBTQ+ inclusion consultant.

Kwame Harris (2003-08)

Harris grew up in Delaware but chose to move far from home and play offensive line for Stanford after his parents had trouble accepting his sexuality.

That is a fast variation considering former NFLer Ryan O’Callaghan (who came out not too long prior to Frantz) related that no further than 2011 he had thought about taking his own life rather than permitting his sexuality to be unmasked while he still participated in football. His former teammate, David Kopay, revealed in his 1977 book that the two once had a fling, essentially outing Smith and confirming his sexuality.

“No one should be constrained by what society presumes.”

Colton Underwood

The celeb from The Bachelor, a former football star (who was accepted by the San Diego Chargers without being drafted and spent time on practice squads for the Oakland Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles) proclaimed as homosexual in April 2021, saying he had at long last embraced his libido plus “the next phase in all this” was to make people aware.

He wanted everyone to recognize that he still was “exactly the same Colton everyone saw on TV” and is “delighted to be gay.”

Ryan Russell

In a passionate piece shared by ESPN at the end of 2019, the NFL free agent revealed himself to be “a talented NFL player, a great writer, a beloved son and brother, a loyal friend, and a bisexual man.”

“Today I have two main objectives: re-joining the NFL and living my life with transparency,” he wrote.

"I know that 30 isn't the be-all-end-all ... but it is in gay years."

Brad Thorson (2011)

A lineman at Kansas and Wisconsin in college, Thorson attended training camp with the Arizona Cardinals in 2011. 6, 2023.

“There’s a few of us that paved the way and it makes me incredibly happy,” Kopay said about Nassib playing in the regular season.

Despite their small numbers, these 16 are trailblazers and have inspired many LGBTQ people in sports and every walk of life, so they are to be applauded.

Here is the list of football players in the NFL who have come out:

Played in a regular season game

Dave Kopay (1964-72): Running back with the 49ers, Lions, Washington, Saints, and Packers.

Jerry Smith (1965-77): Tight end with Washington.

It was far from the most important work he would do, though. Played in the Super Bowl with the 2007 Patriots.

Ryan Russell (2015-17, spent 2018 in Bills camp): Defensive lineman with the Buccaneers and Cowboys.