NFL Star Ryan Russell Comes Out as Bisexual

Ryan Russell has come out as bisexual in a post in which he spoke about being the first openly LGBTQ athlete to play in a regular season game.

In the ESPN.com article published Thursday, the 27-year-old NFL star said: “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.”

The Texan native said he decided to speak out as “a talented football player, a damn good writer, a loving son, an overbearing brother, a caring friend, a loyal lover, and a bisexual man.”

Fox News added that “Russell was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He was released prior to the 2016 season and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he spent the next two seasons. He signed with the Buffalo Bills in the summer of 2018, but was released as part of roster cutdowns due to a shoulder injury.”

Russell continued in the article: “Have I lied to teammates, coaches, trainers, front-office executives and fans about who I am? Not exactly. But withholding information is a form of deceit. And I want the next part of my career — and life — steeped in trust and honesty. 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.”