Carolyn Moos played basketball at Stanford at the same time as Jason Collins, started dating the 7-foot center, fell in love and got engaged. The whole time she had no idea he was gay.
The NBA free agent announced this week that he is gay, becoming the first active player in a major American sport to come out. Collins’ wrote about his experiences for Sports Illustrated , including his history with Carolyn Moos.
“When I was younger I dated women,” Collins wrote. “I even got engaged. I thought I had to live a certain way. I thought I needed to marry a woman and raise kids with her. I kept telling myself the sky was red, but I always knew it was blue.”
Carolyn Moos said she didn’t actually learn until this weekend , just before Jason made his announcement. It came as quite a shock, as Moos never suspected that Collins was gay. When the couple broke up Collins gave her a flimsy reason, Moos said.
“It’s very emotional for me as a woman to have invested [eight] years in my dream to have a husband, soul mate, and best friend in him,” Moos said. “So this is all hard to understand.”
Despite the difficult situation, Carolyn Moos said she doesn’t have ill will toward Collins.
“I care about [Jason] tremendously and only want the best for him,” she said. “I want Jason to be happy for a lifetime and stay true to who he really is, inside and out.”
Collins announcement has brought an increase in attention to Moos herself. Her name was one of the most popular internet searches on Wednesday.
After leaving Stanford she went on to a pro career in the WNBA, including stints with the Phoenix Mercury, Miami Sol, and Minnesota Lynx. The 6-foot-5 Moos is now an ACE Certified personal trainer and active in a number of fitness initiatives.
Carolyn Moos is also ready to open up about her time with Jason Collins. She has a number of interviews scheduled over the course of this week to discuss their relationship.