In a powerful essay for ESPN, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Ryan Russell has opened up about his sexuality, revealing that he is bisexual and becoming one of just a handful of openly LGBTQ NFL players in history.
In the essay, Russell — as told to Kevin Arnovitz — said that he hopes to return to the NFL but doesn’t want to “ever interview for a job as anything other than my full self.”
“During the season you spend more time with your team than with your own family; truth and honesty are the cornerstones of a winning culture,” he wrote. “My truth is that I’m a talented football player, a damn good writer, a loving son, an overbearing brother, a caring friend, a loyal lover, and a bisexual man.”
Russell was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 2015, and he played two seasons with the Bucs, starting seven games for them in 2017 and finishing that year with 17 tackles and two sacks. He hopes that coming out will encourage future generations of athletes to live openly as well.
“Today, I have two goals: returning to the NFL, and living my life openly,” he said. “I want to live my dream of playing the game I’ve worked my whole life to play, and being open about the person I’ve always been. Those two objectives shouldn’t be in conflict. But judging from the fact that there isn’t a single openly LGBTQ player in the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball or the NHL, brings me pause. I want to change that — for me, for other athletes who share these common goals, and for the generations of LGBTQ athletes who will come next.”
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