Dorien Bryant : Wide receiver with the Steelers. Martin Jenkins : Defensive back with the Seahawks. Brad Thorson : Offensive lineman with the Cardinals. Michael Sam : Defensive end with the Rams. Also on the Cowboys practice squad.
Colton Underwood : Tight end had preseason or practice squad stints with the Chargers, Eagles and Raiders. Jenkins is gay and this was the the first time he widely discussed his sexual orientation. In April, Colton Underwood came out publicly.
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Sam went on to play for the Montreal Alouettes as the first openly gay player in the Canadian Football League before retiring for mental health reasons in As one of the few openly gay former U.
Football was a way to hide who he was. Your kids are listening. Visit news. But even now I still have to pinch myself when I run out and get to play each week in front of tens of thousands of people. However there is something that sets me apart from most of the other players in the Premier League.
I am gay. But only my family members and a select group of friends are aware of my sexuality. I don't feel ready to share it with my team or my manager. That's hard. I spend most of my life with these guys and when we step out on the pitch we are a team.
But still, something inside me makes it impossible for me to be open with them about how I feel. I dearly hope one day soon I will be able to.
I feel trapped and my fear is that disclosing the truth about what I am will only make things worse. So, although my heart often tells me I need to do it, my head always says the same thing: "Why risk it all? I am lucky enough to earn a very good wage. I have a nice car, a wardrobe full of designer clothes and can afford to buy anything I want for my family and friends.
But one thing I am missing is companionship. I am at an age where I would love to be in a relationship. But because of the job I do the level of trust in having a long-term partner has to be extremely high. So, at the moment, I avoid relationships at all. I dearly hope I will soon meet someone who I think I will be able to trust enough.
The truth is I just don't think football is ready yet for a player to come out. The game would need to make radical changes in order for me to feel able to make that step. The Professional Footballers Association say they are ready to help a player to come out. This is missing the point. If I need a counsellor I can go and book a session with one whenever I want. What those running the game need to do is educate fans, players, managers, agents, club owners - basically everyone involved in the game.
If I was to make that step I'd want to know that I would be supported at each step of my journey. I wish I didn't have to live my life in such a way. But the reality is there is still a huge amount of prejudice in football. There are countless times I've heard homophobic chants and comments from supporters directed at no one in particular.
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