Former Patriots and Chiefs offensive lineman Ryan O’Callaghan didn’t come out when he was an active player. But he’s sure that if a player does, he’ll be accepted.
O’Callaghan, who revealed this week that he’s gay, said on the Dan Patrick Show that he has no doubt that in this day and age, gay players would be welcome.
“I’m pretty positive now that teams would accept a gay player. There’s enough guys in every locker room who truly understand and know that it’s not a choice. In society as a whole, it’s OK. I think there’s enough guys that would rally around, I think some would even go out of their way just to make someone feel accepted,” O’Callaghan said.
There’s already been an openly gay player in two NFL locker rooms, as Michael Sam spent time with the Rams and Cowboys and there were no reports of any issues inside either team. Sam never played in a regular-season game, but some day some openly gay player will, and it will be a step forward, not a distraction.