- Click to share on Facebook (Opens in a new window)
- Click to share on Twitter (Opens in a new window)
- Click here to share on LinkedIn (Opens in a new window)
- Click to email a friend (Opens in a new window)
(CNN) - Ryan Russell has played in the NFL for three seasons, but when he puts on his uniform and goes on the field in his next game, he will be the first man to reveal himself to be bisexual and play a regular season game.
Russell, currently a free agent, was recruited by the Cowboys in 2015 after playing for Purdue University. He played a year in the Cowboys and then two years in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but no one knew who the defensive end really was.
Russell told ESPN that he hid his sexual identity during the first three years of his career. He said he feared it could be the end of his career if he revealed that he is bisexual.
“I rationalized my fear because it was easy to convince myself that hiding who I was made the most sense. The competition is so tough to remain in the league, that any small brand can take a major office to choose another man for your job, ”Russell told Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.
After missing the 2018 season due to an injury, Russell said he wants to live honestly and that means being honest with his teammates.
"Today I have two goals: to return to the NFL and live my life openly," he said. “Those two objectives should not be in conflict. But judging by the fact that there is not a single openly LGBTQ player in the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball or the NHL, it makes me doubt. I want to change that. ”
Other professional athletes have also publicly announced their sexual orientation in recent years. Many waited until they withdrew.
Playing for Missouri, Michael Sam was the Southeast Conference defensive player of the year in 2014, when he announced he was gay, before the NFL draft.
He was then chosen by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round, but only played in a preseason game.
Now he plays in the Canadian Football League of Canada for the Montreal Alouettes.
In the NBA, center Jason Collins announced that he was gay in 2013, after 12 seasons in the league. He is believed to be the first person in any major sport in the United States to do so.
Russell said he has been working with the San Francisco 49ers and continues to look for a place in the league.
“Being careful should not mean to anyone not to be yourself. The career that one chooses should not dictate the parts that one accepts of oneself. ”
NFL
