How many gay nfl players

He came out to Philadelphia Magazine in 2013, saying he had offers from other NFL teams after he was cut. He identifies as bisexual, which makes him part of the LGBTQ+ community He briefly played defensive end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys. He now heads the Ryan O'Callaghan Foundation, which "provides scholarships, support, and mentorship for LGBTQ+ athletes of all levels."

Dorien Bryant (2008)

A four-time All-Big Ten wide receiver at Purdue, Bryant was a college star.

His writing has appeared in numerous major outlets and in 2014, he became the NFL's first LGBTQ+ inclusion consultant.

Kwame Harris (2003-08)

Harris grew up in Delaware but chose to move far from home and play offensive line for Stanford after his parents had trouble accepting his sexuality.

"I know that 30 isn't the be-all-end-all ... After coming out in 2012, Davis has done great activism work for organizations like the "You Can Play" project. He also recorded the final tackle of John Elway's career in Super Bowl XXXIII.

Tuaolo publicly came out in 2002. 6, 2023.

“There’s a few of us that paved the way and it makes me incredibly happy,” Kopay said about Nassib playing in the regular season.

Despite their small numbers, these 16 are trailblazers and have inspired many LGBTQ people in sports and every walk of life, so they are to be applauded.

Here is the list of football players in the NFL who have come out:

Played in a regular season game

Dave Kopay (1964-72): Running back with the 49ers, Lions, Washington, Saints, and Packers.

Jerry Smith (1965-77): Tight end with Washington.

He's served as a Gay Games Ambassador. Nassib played with the Bucs in 2022 and retired from the NFL on Sept. Played in the Super Bowl with the 1998 Falcons.

Kwame Harris (2003-08): Offensive lineman with the 49ers and Raiders.

Ryan O’Callaghan (2006-11): Offensive lineman with the Patriots and Chiefs.

He's still in the game in his own way: he hosted a Super Bowl Inclusion Party two years ago, which was sponsored by the "Hate Is Wrong" anti-bullying organization.

Wade Davis (2000-03)

Davis never played in a regular-season NFL game, but he attended training camp for teams like the Tennessee Titans, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Redskins.

He's now married.

Ryan Russell (2015-18)

Russell isn't gay. He died of AIDS complications in 1986, becoming the first former pro athlete known to die of AIDS.

He told The Washington Post 51 days before he died that he was battling the disease because he wanted some good to come from it.

Ray McDonald (1967-68)

Washington's first-round pick in 1967, Ray McDonald didn't have a lengthy career but had a tragic story.

He was "late" to a team meeting by coach Vince Lombardi's standards in 1969, and that cost him his job.

The following year, he was inducted into the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame.

He once said regarding the NFL and not coming out: "The NFL has a reputation, and it's not even a verbal thing — it's just known. Much like Smith, McDonald died of AIDS complications in 1993. ESPN polled 51 active NFL players in 2014 before Michael Sam became the first openly gay player drafted in the NFL, and 44 of those players said a teammate's sexual orientation didn't matter to them.

Throughout the league's history, a number of former players have come out after hanging up their cleats.

Outsports breaks down the list of 16 players, who have openly come out publicly.