Are there any gay nfl players

This is a list of notable, openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, transgender, and queer -identifying athletes associated with American Football, namely the NFL. 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 There have been 16 gay or bi players come out publicly in the NFL, which is in its th season.

Carl Nassib was No. 16 and the first one to come out as gay while on an active roster. Read on for a list of 15 NFL players who have come out as gay (or bisexual!), shattering preconceived notions and fostering inclusivity in a sport that—let’s be honest—could use a lot more. Several former National Football League players have publicly shared their experiences of coming out. Dorien Bryant's story began with his mother's discovery.

Carl Nassib became the first openly gay player to participate in an NFL game. Dave Kopay revealed his sexuality in Over the course of the NFL's year history, only a handful of players have ever come out as gay. In a sport where many players feel that their career could be at risk if they came out, it takes a lot of courage to authentically live their truth. In fact, it wasn't until that an active player actually opened up about his sexuality.

But thanks to the bravery of all the players who have decided to share their story so far, there's hope that the NFL will be a more inclusive place going forward. In an Instagram video shared in June , Carl opened up about his sexuality and expressed his gratitude for the support he'd been given so far from his teammates and coaches.

I really have the best life, the best family, friends and job a guy can ask for…I do not know all the history behind our courageous LGBTQ community, but I am eager to learn and to help continue the fight for equality and acceptance. Former football player Dave Kopay was the first major professional athlete to come out in any sport. He shared his truth in a interview, several years after he retired from football.

While he went on to release a best-selling autobiography, he was widely ostracized from the world of football for decades and had trouble getting a coaching job. Despite the difficulty, Dave says coming out was well received by his fans. There were hundreds of letters forwarded to me. Michael Sam. Michael Sam was still in college playing for the Missouri Tigers when he came out as gay.

In , he went on to become the first out player ever drafted by a professional team when he was recruited by the St. Louis Rams. Although he was cut before getting an official place on the roster, he did end up playing for the Montreal Alouettes , making him the first openly gay player in the history of the Canadian Football League. Colton Underwood. Colton Underwood played for several football teams including the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders before retiring from the sport in He went on to rise to fame on "The Bachelor" and although he left the show in a relationship with Cassie Randolph, they ended up splitting several years later.

In , Colton came out as gay, later sharing that he had been blackmailed into opening up about his sexuality. Despite the circumstance, Colton said he was in the best place he'd been in a long time. I'm the happiest and healthiest I've ever been in my life and that means the world to me," he shared. I think overall the reason why now is because I got to a place where I didn't think I was ever going to share this.

He went on to play professionally for 5 years, including time with the Kansas City Chiefs. It wasn't until that he decided to come out, admitting that at times in his life, he would have rather not been alive than reveal his sexuality. He finally made the decision to come out after dealing with painkiller abuse and seeking counseling.

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It's all I would think about. But now that I have come out it rarely crosses my mind. Yeah I'd go about my daily life in football, but thinking about hiding it and hoping no one finds out and being ready for any situation was exhausting," Ryan told Outsports. While he hadn't planned on opening up about his sexuality, he was outed after a domestic dispute with his then-boyfriend landed him in jail in He then decided to officially come out and looking back says he wishes he had the courage to do it sooner.

From to , Roy Simmons played as an offensive lineman with the Giants and the Redskins, now known as the Washington Commanders. He became the second NFL player to ever publicly come out as gay when he opened up about his sexuality in and was the first to disclose that he was HIV-positive.