No other athletes in the four men’s professional sports leagues — the N.F.L., N.B.A., M.L.B. and N.H.L. — are openly bisexual or gay.
“Everyone should be able to bring their full, authentic selves to work, and that includes the N.F.L.”.
Sarah McBride, the national press secretary for Human Rights Campaign, said, “Ryan Russell is creating more space and opportunity for young L.G.B.T.Q. people to dream big and to pursue their goals.”.
The N.F.L. and the N.F.L. Players Association did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday.
In 2014, the N.F.L.’s first openly gay player, Michael Sam, was drafted by the St. Louis Rams — now the Los Angeles Rams — in the seventh round.
Sam’s path to the N.F.L. was widely chronicled at the time.
In 2015, he said he was stepping away from the game for “mental health” reasons after a brief stint in the Canadian Football League. »
