Source: Joe Robbins / Getty
Ryan Russell Reveals He Is Bisexual & Tired Of Hiding It
Ryan Russell is opening up about his sexuality in a new, very personal essay.
The NFL veteran and former Dallas Cowboys player announced that he’s bisexual this week.The baller announced the news via ESPN, saying his motivation for revealing his sexual identity is simply because he’s flat-out tired of hiding it. The 27-year-old — who was a Cowboys’ fifth-round pick back in 2015 — is currently an NFL free agent … and says his last job interview with a team made him realize he needed to make his sexual preferences public.
“Out of love, admiration and respect, I want the next team to sign me valuing me for what I do and knowing who I truly am.”
In the announcement that Russell wrote himself, he says it’s his goal to be an openly LGBTQ player in the NFL. “I want to live my dream of playing the game I’ve worked my whole life to play, and being open about the person I’ve always been.”
Ryan also decided to go public with his relationship with his boyfriend, who wrote about the news on his own Instagram page saying, “This man is the top headline on @espn this morning for speaking his truth as a player in the NFL and as my boyfriend. I couldn’t be more proud.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1wP7bLH6hq/
After the essay was published, Russell also posted a YouTube video with his boyfriend, dancer Corey O’Brien, on their new joint YouTube channel.
Russell sat out the entire 2018 season with a shoulder injury, but he had a solid first 3 years in the league, playing in a combined 23 games with the Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Throughout those games, he logged 3 sacks and 20 combined tackles and says he’s still confident he can produce at a high level for an NFL team.This is obviously a huge step for Russel and for the NFL as a whole. Live your truth, Ryan!
