The NFL doesn’t currently have any openly gay players but the league does have at least one ex-player who has come out of the closet. Kwame Harris, who was publicly outed last year when he was arrested for allegedly assaulting his boyfriend , opened up to CNN this week about what it was like to be gay in the NFL.
Harris said that he had some dark moments during his playing days because he wanted to “escape the despair.”
“You want to escape the despair and turmoil and your mind goes to dark places … I’m happy today, and I’m glad they were just ideas and I didn’t act on any of them.”
Harris said that he was happy now but admitted that he had some regrets. For one, Harris wishes that he would have had the strength to come out while he was still playing in the NFL.
Harris said:
“The cost was great not speak candidly open about myself in complete manner … If I could have done it differently, I would have hoped I found the strength [to come out].”
The NFL doesn’t currently have an openly gay player and it could be a little while until the league gets its gay Jackie Robinson .
Before the Super Bowl this year, 49ers wide receiver Chris Culliver said that he didn’t want gays in his locker room.
Culliver said:
“I don’t do the gay guys man. I don’t do that. No, we don’t got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do. Can’t be with that sweet stuff. Nah…can’t be…in the locker room man. Nah.”
Culliver, and the 49ers, both apologized for the comments.
Here’s the video of Kwame Harris talking about being gay in the NFL.