Gay quarterback in nfl
List of LGBTQ American football players For a more in-depth discussion of the topic go here: Homosexuality in American Football. The queer history of the NFL also includes Roy Simmons — one of the first few players to come out as gay. Keep scrolling to learn more about the pro football players who have come out over the years!
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Fortunately, one of the most popular sports in the U. has been making some progress thanks to the players who have come out. The National Football League NFL has shown some evolution on queer representation in recent years.
to NFL season Regular season Nassib came out as gay in June and became the first openly gay NFL player to play an NFL game in September There have been 16 gay or bi players come out publicly in the NFL, which is in its th season. Nassib became the first openly gay NFL player to play in a regular season game – and helped his team to a stunning victory.
Specifically, Kopay competed in the NFL for about 10 years, playing as a running back for teams such as the San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, Washington Redskins, New Orleans Saints, and Green Bay Packers. Running back Ray McDonald played for the Washington Commanders formerly called the Washington Redskins between and That short NFL career happened as a result of McDonald being arrested in for reportedly having sex with a man in public via NBC Sports.
Kwame Harris played as an offensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders throughout his career as an active NFL athlete in the s. Following his last season in the NFL, Smith came out as gay and moved to Austin, Texas, where he co-owned a gay bar.
Veteran pass rusher Carl Nassib, who in became the NFL's first openly gay player to play in a regular-season game, announced his retirement on Wednesday after seven seasons. However, as reported by CBS News , the football star came out on an official basis in an interview with CNN from Wade Davis ' football career included the time he spent in teams like the Tennessee Titans, Berlin Thunder, Seattle Seahawks, Barcelona Dragons, and the Washington Commanders in the s.
Carl Nassib was No. 16 and the first one to come out as gay while on an active roster. After playing as a guard for teams such as the New York Giants, the Washington Commanders, and the Jacksonville Bulls between and , Simmons came out as gay in during an episode of The Phil Donahue Show.
In , Harris was accused of assaulting an ex-boyfriend, which meant that he was basically outed during that process via USA Today. Over the years, Kopay was featured as a cover star on Out 's sister publication, The Advocate , and eventually opened up about having a short romantic fling with Jerry Smith when they were younger.
We continue to fight for the visibility of athletes who don't identify as straight, and it's great to see past examples of NFL stars coming out and still having successful careers. Tuaolo showcased his singing chops in by competing on The Voice season 13 and making it all the way to the "Playoffs" round.
And, even more recently, Tuaolo was honored as an "Educator" on the Out list. As of , Kopay is 82 years old. Offensive lineman Brad Thorson briefly played for the Arizona Cardinals in A few years later, in , the football player came out as gay in a blog post shared on Independence Day.
The Raiders lineman made NFL history during Pride Month when he came out as gay in a heartfelt Instagram post, becoming the first active NFL player to come out as member of the LGBTQ+ community. This is a list of notable, openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, transgender, and queer -identifying athletes associated with American Football, namely the NFL.
This includes those who were posthumously outed. Jerry Smith played as a tight end for the Washington Redskins between and — an impressive total of 13 seasons. From Honolulu, Hawaii, defensive tackle Esera Tuaolo played in the NFL for teams like the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons, and Carolina Panthers.
In August , Smith told The Washington Post that he had been diagnosed with HIV. David Kopay was one of the first professional athletes to come out as a gay man.