NFL star Ryan Russell has come out as a bisexual in a heartfelt essay written for ESPN. Russell, former player for Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, said that he is ready to live his truth:
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.
This confession comes after his rejection by a NFL team
This confession from Russell comes in the wake of his rejection from an NFL team this August. Russell said he felt good about the meeting and how he presented himself, but he felt he wasn’t completely himself there. “This is the last time I will ever interview for a job as anything other than my full self” he said. He also added:
Out of love, admiration and respect, I want the next team to sign me valuing me for what I do and knowing who I truly am.
First openly LGBTQ athlete to play a regular NFL season
Russell was signed for Dallas Cowboys in 2015 and then for Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2016. He had a solid first 3 years in the game where he recorded 3 sacks and 20 combined tackles. He was released in 2018 due to a shoulder injury, and currently is an NFL free agent.
He hopes to be the first openly LGBTQ athlete to play in a regular season game.
There isn’t a single openly LGBTQ player in the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball or the NHL. 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.
Afterwards, he posted a photo on Instagram with his boyfriend
He also posted a YouTube video featuring him and his boyfriend Corey O’Brien on their channel named Corey & Russ.
World is always going to have an opinion
The defensive end player wishes to return to the NFL, while living his life openly. “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,” he went on to say,
World is going to always have an opinion, but you’re always going to go to sleep with you, and you’re going to wake up with you, and that’s the only opinion that really matters.
Featured Image Courtesy: TMZ
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