NFL Free Agent Ryan Russell Says Coming out as Bisexual Will Help Him Be a Better Teammate

NFL free agent Ryan Russell recently came out as bisexual and it was something he wanted to do for [...]

By Brian Jones

NFL free agent Ryan Russell recently came out as bisexual and it was something he wanted to do for a long time. He made the announcement via letter to ESPN and he's now explaining why he's making the move now. Russell was recently on CNN and he said coming out will help him be better teammate once he signs with a team.

"If you're focused on hiding a part of yourself or...anything other than your sport, your opponent and your craft, then you won't be as effective. You'll be a step behind, you'll be a step slower," Russell said who started playing in the NFL in 2015.

Russell also said coming out has simply made him a better person.

"Once I finally felt ready to come out, I just felt a weight lifted. I became a better brother. I became a better son. I believe I'll be a better teammate."

Russell wants to be the first openly LGBTQ player in the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball or the NHL. When he was in the NFL, Russell wasn't able to come out because of the reaction it would cause.

"My truth is that I'm a talented football player, a damn good writer, a loving son, an overbearing brother, a caring friend, a loyal lover, and a bisexual man," Russell said in the letter.

"Today, I have two goals: returning to the NFL, and living my life openly. 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."

Towards the end of the letter, Russell said teams now are more worried about players producing on the field more than their sexuality. He said he's not looking for anything other than to sign with a team that knows everything about him.

"I just want to play ball for a team that knows me off the field and values me on it," Russell said. "I want to encourage teammates to be the same people they have always been. I want us to remain as close as family. I want to be able to dedicate my life to football without feeling like I can't dedicate my life to truth as well."

Russell, who plays defensive end, has played in 23 NFL games and has recorded three sacks. His most notable season was in 2017 when he recorded 16 tackles and two sacks in 14 games with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round in 2015 and was on the Buffalo Bills practice squad in 2018.

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