Meet the gay and bisexual former NFL players who came out after retiring
On June 21, 2021, Carl Nassib made history by becoming the National Football League (NFL)’s first openly gay active player. The moment was rightfully celebrated as a milestone for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the sport, but what many failed to acknowledge, or rather who they failed to acknowledge, were those who paved the way before.Although Nassib was the first to publicly identify as gay while being fielded in the NFL, other players have come out after retiring.Dave Kopay is known as the first to do so, revealing his sexuality in 1975, three years after hanging up his boots.
The running back enjoyed a near decade-long career in the league with teams like the San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers.
Kopay also played for the Washington Redskins (now the Washington Commanders) alongside two other players who later came out as gay, Jerry Smith and Ray McDonald.
9th December 1975: Former Washington Redskins linebacker Dave Kopay is featured in the Washington Star’s series of articles on homosexuality and sports, becoming the first major professional athlete to come out as gay. #OnThisDay #Queerstory pic.twitter.com/l7Dvrtpjja— Gay Community News (@GCNmag) December 9, 2020Kopay and Smith are said to have had a brief affair while teammates, but the latter kept his sexuality private while in the NFL.
