# Gay NFL players **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 29, 2009, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-nfl-players/501348 "2009-06-29T15:29:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-nfl-players/501348/1 "2009-06-29T15:29:59Z")
Are there/were there any openly gay NFL players? ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-nfl-players/501348/2 "2009-06-29T15:35:24Z")
Apparently there is [one](http://thecelebritycafe.com/features/5512.html). ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-nfl-players/501348/3 "2009-06-29T15:45:36Z")
Do you mean when they were active or after they retired? Esera Toualo (the person in **dolphinboy** ’s link) came out after he retired. (Incidentally, I was within six feet of a swimtrunked Esera Toualo in a hotel pool once…the man is HAWWWT!) ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-nfl-players/501348/4 "2009-06-29T15:58:47Z")
Esera Toualo signed his book for me. I’m not aware of anyone out while actively playing, but these days there are probably more and more “don’t ask don’t tell” players. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-nfl-players/501348/5 "2009-06-29T16:06:22Z")
And, of course, the first gay NFL player to come to mind was Dave Kopay, who was the first NFL player to come out, in 1975 (also after he retired). As far as I know, the only ex-NFL player to come out besides Kopay and Toualo was Roy Simmons. There were and are, of course, other gay players (like Jerry Smith, who Kopay outed after his death from AIDS), but generally, they stay closeted. ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-nfl-players/501348/6 "2009-06-29T17:25:32Z")
There are some rumors that Kordell Stewart is gay ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-nfl-players/501348/7 "2009-06-29T18:28:00Z")
Every QB that ever threw a pass to Terrell Owens is gay. Or so he eventually claims. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-nfl-players/501348/8 "2009-06-29T23:40:12Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > Every QB that ever threw a pass to Terrell Owens is gay. Would that make TO their catcher? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-nfl-players/501348/9 "2009-06-29T23:49:50Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > Would that make TO their catcher? Receiver. Or tight end. Running a wide out. I’ll stop now. ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-nfl-players/501348/10 "2009-06-30T02:24:18Z")
:rolleyes: back to the OP, nobody has come out while they were active in any of the major team sports played in the US… NFL, MLB, NBA, or NHL. There have been players from the first three who have come out after they retired. There have been openly gay female players in tennis, golf, and the WNBA.