Gay college football players

Here's a list of players in college and pro football who have proved you can be gay or bi and still run the gauntlet. Running back Dave Kopay, who signed with the San Francisco 49ers in. This is a list of notable, openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, transgender, and queer -identifying athletes associated with American Football, namely the NFL.

For six of the eight openly gay or bi college football players, has marked the end of their collegiate careers, with five graduating and one deciding to stop playing football. While their. Here's a list of players in college and pro ball who have proved you can be gay or bi and still run the gauntlet.

trans football player nfl

Dave Kopay. Running back Dave Kopay, who signed with the San Francisco 49ers. A list of LGBT or gay NFL players from Michael Sam, Ryan O’Callaghan, Ryan Russell, Aaron Hernandez. List to include college university football varsity jocks. Carl Nassib uttered it so nonchalantly — almost like a shrug. And while someone coming out in might not feel like a big deal, with that simple statement, Nassib became the first openly gay active player in NFL history.

With that simple statement, Nassib became the first openly gay active player in NFL history. Though there are many openly queer women in professional sports, the same cannot be said for men.

The NFL has existed for years, and in that time, there has never been a player on an active NFL roster who has publicly acknowledged his gayness. Louis Rams took him in the seventh round, but he never played in a game. In , he became the first openly gay player in the Canadian Football League when he spent a season with the Montreal Alouettes.

In , NFL free agent Ryan Russell came out as bisexual but has not been picked up by any team since doing so. And football, perhaps more than any other U. This is where misogyny comes into play, manifesting in a culture of homophobia. This culture is crushing to the queer men who are trying to navigate it, often making them feel like they need to hide their true selves in order to play the sport they love.

Football, perhaps more than any other U. Hiding this truth can have devastating consequences. Inclusion needs to be more than symbolic; rainbow patches and hosting Pride Nights will not produce the kind of meaningful shift in locker room culture necessary for queer players to feel like they can safely be open about who they are. Frankie de la Cretaz is a freelance writer whose work focuses on the intersection of sports, gender and culture.

IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Skip to Content. Share this —. NBC News Logo. Follow think. Search Search. By Frankie de la Cretaz. Related Opinion. Please submit a letter to the editor. Frankie de la Cretaz Frankie de la Cretaz is a freelance writer whose work focuses on the intersection of sports, gender and culture.