Byron Perks: Gay HBCU Football Star Spotlights Black Stigmas

Contents:

• THERE ARE 7 OPENLY GAY OR BI LLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYERS THIS SEASON
• 8 OPENLY GAY AND BI LLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYERS PLAYED SEASON ON THEIR TERMS
• IN A LLEGE FOOTBALL FIRST, HBCU PLAYER OUT AS GAY
• OUTSPORTS MALE ATHLET OF THE YEAR: 8 OUT GAY AND BI LLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYERS
• BEFORE CARL NASSIB, MICHAEL SAM WAS THE NFL’S FIRST OPENLY GAY DRAFT PICK. HE NEVER PLAYED A REGULAR SEASON GAME.
• MICHAEL SAM, FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER, RETIR FOR MENTAL HEALTH REASONS
• CARL NASSIB, THE FIRST OPENLY GAY ACTIVE NFL PLAYER, ULD BE TURNG POT FOR MALE SPORTS
• CARL NASSIB, THE FIRST OPENLY GAY N.F.L. PLAYER, HAS BEEN A FOOTBALL EVERYMAN
• CT NATIVE BREAKS BARRIER AS FIRST OPENLY-GAY NFL ACH
• MIZZOU'S MICHAEL SAM SAYS HE'S GAY
• FIRST OPENLY GAY HBCU FOOTBALL PLAYER SPOTLIGHTS STIGMA OF HOMOSEXUALY IN THE BLACK COMMUNY
• CARL NASSIB IS THE FIRST ACTIVE NFL PLAYER TO COME OUT AS GAY
• KEV MAXEN, JAGUARS ASSISTANT STRENGTH ACH, OUT AS FIRST OPENLY GAY MALE ACH NFL
• CARL NASSIB, FIRST OPENLY GAY NFL PLAYER, TO BE RELEASED BY RAIRS
• JAGUARS ASSISTANT KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH MAJOR MEN'S PRO SPORTS TO INTIFY AS GAY
• RAIRS’ CARL NASSIB ANNOUNC HE’S GAY, AN N.F.L. FIRST

THERE ARE 7 OPENLY GAY OR BI LLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYERS THIS SEASON

College football season starts full this weekend and seven openly gay or bi players will take the field var divisns. Among those g back is Wyatt Pertet, a wi receiver who ma history last year by beg the first openly gay llege football player to sre a touchdown a game. Cy Hicks, a College of Idaho (NAIA) offensive leman who will be a sophomore.

Christian Zevogel, a Kalamazoo College (Michigan Divisn III) offensive leman who will be a sophomore. For six of the eight openly gay or bi llege football players, 2019 has marked the end of their llegiate reers, wh five graduatg and one cidg to stop playg football. Of the eight teams that had an openly gay or bi player, four played on teams wh wng rerd and four on teams wh losg rerds.

8 OPENLY GAY AND BI LLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYERS PLAYED SEASON ON THEIR TERMS

By beg openly gay while playg our most popular sport, the athlet upend what long had been a stereotype of the impossibily of out players thrivg football.

IN A LLEGE FOOTBALL FIRST, HBCU PLAYER OUT AS GAY

Here is how the eight gay or bi players and their teams fared this season:. Frantz, openly gay, is the team’s startg left tackle and will play his fal llegiate game the Wildts’ bowl game, which will be termed this weekend.

OUTSPORTS MALE ATHLET OF THE YEAR: 8 OUT GAY AND BI LLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYERS

Capal went 0-10, but Pertet end his reer wh a distctn 2018 of the beg the first openly gay player to sre a llege football touchdown. Saffold, openly gay, had 21 tackl and three terceptns for the 4-5 Mammoths. Christian Zevogel, Kalamazoo College (Michigan Divisn III) offensive leman, sophomore.

Zevogel, who is gay, cid to end his football reer at season’s end, cg a ncsn he suffered Augt and the sire to pursue his amic terts.

BEFORE CARL NASSIB, MICHAEL SAM WAS THE NFL’S FIRST OPENLY GAY DRAFT PICK. HE NEVER PLAYED A REGULAR SEASON GAME.

Johnson, openly gay, played six gam wh seven tackl for New Mexi Milary his first game actn two years after stg out his hman season at Arizona. The eight were the only players who were publicly out about beg gay or bi and my hope for 2020 is that they are joed by others.

A Hampton Universy football player me out publicly as gay, a first for a football player at a historilly Black llege or universy, acrdg to, an LGBTQ sports news se.

MICHAEL SAM, FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER, RETIR FOR MENTAL HEALTH REASONS

Byron Perks, a Divisn I fensive back for the Hampton Universy Pirat, me out as gay an Instagram story shared Wednday. ’ Y, this is who I am, this is who I’ve been, and this is who I’m gog to be, ” Perks wrote the story, acrdg to (Instagram stori are only available for 24 hours, so Perks’ origal story is no longer viewable) several Divisn I football players have e out as gay durg their llege reers — cludg the College of Idaho’s Cy Hicks, Amherst College’s Avery Saffold and Kansas State’s Stt Frantz — Perks is the first to do so at one of the untry’s 101 HBCUs, acrdg to both Outsports and Perks. Perks told Outsports that he’d like to help other gay Black men who are stgglg wh their sexualy.

CARL NASSIB, THE FIRST OPENLY GAY ACTIVE NFL PLAYER, ULD BE TURNG POT FOR MALE SPORTS

“I’m sure the young man has heard his fair share of slurs om teammat unaware that he is gay.

Cyd Zeigler, the -founr of Outsports, noted that “so many ‘first’ gay athlet — John Amaechi, Jason Colls, Michael Sam — have been Black men. Four of the top six most-read Outsports stori of the were related to football and the sport ntu to drive nversatn whenever players e out as gay or bi. This past season saw eight gay or bi players who me out openly, their prence showg that LGBTQ athlet have a place every sport.

One ma history — Wyatt Pertet who 2018 beme the first openly gay player to sre a touchdown. For their prence as out athlet a sport long thought hostile, Outsports has selected the eight gay and bi llege football players as our Male Athlet of the Year. Perkz/@rlnassib/@rkrelentls)When Kansas State offensive tackle and NFL hopeful Stt Frantz me out to the natn as gay, he shared that his teammat (to whom he'd e out earlier) had warmly received the news, a sign the most alpha of locker rooms may fally be ready for equaly.

CARL NASSIB, THE FIRST OPENLY GAY N.F.L. PLAYER, HAS BEEN A FOOTBALL EVERYMAN

Here's a list of players llege and pro ball who have proved you n be gay or bi and still n the gntlet. Roy "Sugar Bear" Simmons, an offensive leman for the New York Giants and Washgton Redsks, beme the send NFL player ever to publicly reveal he was gay.

So Coach Vce Lombardi knew McDonald was gay when he took over learship of the team 1969, but ma clear there would be no discrimatn his locker room, those close to the legend say. Cornerback Wa Davis, who played preason wh the Tennsee Tans, Seattle Seahawks and Washgton Redsks and spent two seasons wh NFL Europe teams Berl Thunr and Barcelona Dragons, me out as gay 2012, nearly a after his retirement.

He would later nfirm his sexualy on CNN and s down wh ESPN to discs the challeng of growg up gay Jamai and playg football while closeted. He later cled to sign wh the Tennsee Tans and Dallas Cowboys before g out as gay at 24, he told Philalphia Magaze revealed to the magaze that he'd dated a male cheerlear at Purdue who had threatened to out him then. He would later move to San Francis and jo the Fog, a gay gby team, and pen a g-out blog post 2015.

CT NATIVE BREAKS BARRIER AS FIRST OPENLY-GAY NFL ACH

Wyatt Pertet, a special teams player and receiver for Capal Universy, will be a sophomore this season. The Bachelor star and former football player (who was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted ee agent and was on the practice squad of the Oakland Rairs and the Philalphia Eagl) me out as gay April of 2021, sayg he had fally e to terms wh his sexualy and the "next step all of this was sort of lettg people know. "He wanted everyone to know he was "still the same Colton everybody met on TV" and is "proud to be gay.

The Rairs leman ma NFL history durg Pri Month 2021 when he me out as gay a heartfelt Instagram post, beg the first active NFL player to e out as member of the LGBTQ+ muny.

MIZZOU'S MICHAEL SAM SAYS HE'S GAY

The Hampton Universy player ma history October of 2022 when he me out as gay an Instagram Story post, beg the first out gay football player at a Historilly Black College or Universy.

"Speakg to OutSports, he ntued: "Especially at an HBCU, young Black gay men need an outlet.

FIRST OPENLY GAY HBCU FOOTBALL PLAYER SPOTLIGHTS STIGMA OF HOMOSEXUALY IN THE BLACK COMMUNY

Seven years before Las Vegas Rairs fensive end Carl Nassib beme the first active NFL player to e out as gay on Monday, an all-Amerin om the Universy of Missouri risked a promisg reer wh a public claratn. “I am an openly proud gay man, ” Michael Sam, a 24-year-old fensive end, told ESPN and the New York Tim Febary announcement followed a surprisg 12-2 season for Missouri, which won the SEC East and then the Cotton Bowl as Sam was named the SEC fensive player of the year.

CARL NASSIB IS THE FIRST ACTIVE NFL PLAYER TO COME OUT AS GAY

On Tuday, Sam thanked Nassib for jog the ranks of LGBTQ football players, payg special tribute to the donatn Nassib ma to the Trevor Project, a nonprof foced on suici Vegas Rairs fensive end Carl Nassib announced June 21 on Instagram that he is gay, makg him the first active NFL player to e out. The NFL particular had faced cricism for allegedly askg prospects about their sexual orientatn and had been acced of hamperg players who spoke out favor of gay many profsnal athlet around the world, cludg several retired NFL players, had e out by 2014, no one who was still playg football had dared to make that move before story rurfaced on Monday when the 28-year-old Nassib, who was drafted by the Cleveland Browns 2016 and now plays for the Rairs, announced that he is gay a vio on Instagram.

“Here’s the tth: Everyone ow Michael Sam such a b of gratu, ” Wa Davis, a former NFL rnerback who me out as gay 2012, told The Washgton Post on Monday. He wasn’t the only gay man who stggled to fd a place the NFL after g retired NFL players have publicly intified as gay, begng wh Dave Kopay, who me out 1975, three years after leavg the sport.

Michael Sam, who 2014 beme the first openly gay player to be drafted by an NFL team, announced on Twter Friday eveng that he is walkg away om football for mental health reasons. After he failed to fd a al wh an NFL team, Sam signed wh the Montreal Alouett of the Canadian Football League, at which pot he beme the CFL's first openly gay player.

KEV MAXEN, JAGUARS ASSISTANT STRENGTH ACH, OUT AS FIRST OPENLY GAY MALE ACH NFL

7, he beme the first openly gay player to play a regular season CFL game, though he did not register any tackl or sacks his appearanc. “I jt want to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay, ” the fensive leman for the Las Vegas Rairs said a vio posted to his Instagram acunt Monday. And while someone g out 2021 might not feel like a big al, wh that simple statement, Nassib beme the first openly gay active player NFL that simple statement, Nassib beme the first openly gay active player NFL history.

Though there are many openly queer women profsnal sports, the same nnot be said for homophobia of men’s sports culture has been well documented. Currently, there is only one openly gay player on a profsnal men’s team the “big five” Amerin sports: Soccer player Coll Mart of the USL Champnship League (Mart me out 2018 as a member of Major League Soccer’s Mnota Uned) NFL has existed for 101 years, and that time, there has never been a player on an active NFL roster who has publicly acknowledged his gayns. In 2014, Michael Sam beme the first openly gay player to be drafted by an NFL team, when the St.

(In 2015, he beme the first openly gay player the Canadian Football League when he spent a season wh the Montreal Alouett.

CARL NASSIB, FIRST OPENLY GAY NFL PLAYER, TO BE RELEASED BY RAIRS

To be a gay man is to face beg stereotyped as weak or effemate — the oppose of what a football player, or an athlete, is “supposed” to be.

““In llege, football was a great ver for beg gay, ” O’Callaghan told Outsports 2017. ” Davis remembers spendg $1, 500 at a strip club an attempt to nceal the fact that he was gay om his spe society’s evolvg attus, the sports world seems to be movg far slower to mornize and stigmatize. “I thk ’s safe to say there’s at least one on every team who is eher gay or bisexual, ” O’Callaghan speculated 2019.

JAGUARS ASSISTANT KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH MAJOR MEN'S PRO SPORTS TO INTIFY AS GAY

He om a football fay, was a standout at Penn State and has tght his teammat about personal Miller/Getty ImagPublished June 22, 2021Updated June 25, 2021Las Vegas Rairs fensive leman Carl Nassib walked outsi his home Wt Chter, Pa., looked directly to his phone and did somethg that he said he hoped would one day no longer be a few brief sentenc, the 28-year-old Nassib me out as gay. Conversatns wh iends and fay ma possible, he said, for him to publicly say that he is gay. L., his ach and his peers the league for their rpect and acceptance, and acknowledged that many gay people before him did not receive that same support.

RAIRS’ CARL NASSIB ANNOUNC HE’S GAY, AN N.F.L. FIRST

SOUTHBURY, CT (WFSB) – A Connecticut native has bee the first openly gay NFL Maxen, a ach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, said he didn’t want to feel like he had to lie Maxen, associate strength ach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, has publicly e out as gay. Michael Sam, an All-Amerin fensive leman om Missouri and the Associated Prs' SEC Defensive Player of the Year, said that he is gay an terview wh ESPN's "Outsi the L" on stated publicly what his teammat and ach at Mizzou have known sce Augt: "I am an openly, proud gay man.

Assumg that he is drafted, Sam uld bee the first openly gay player the history of the NFL. "In 2014, "Gay Man to Enter Workforce" has the everyday-occurrence sound of a headle The Onn. "Sam had dner on Saturday wh Dave Kopay, a former NFL player who said he was gay 1975 -- three years after his playg reer Sunday night, the NFL released a statement supportg Sam.

"Among other male pro athlet who have said they are gay, Jason Colls, a 12-year NBA veteran, me out a Sports Illtrated article at the end of the 2012-13 regular season, but has not played for a team sce.