The NFL is still expecting its first candidly gay player. Hall of Fame WR Michael Irvin considers his 1990s Cowboys title teams would have offered a secure port for a gay player to get out of the closet.
Irvin tells Out magazine that, “I believe, if a teammate had said he was gay, we would have integrated him and kept moving because of the closeness, we had a bunch of different characters on that team. Deion and Emmitt. I believe that team would have handled it well.”
Irvin was interrogated and photographed by Out while conversing his late brother, Vaughn, who was a gay. Irvin admired his brother and says he would candidly support any gay player.
Irvin added, “If anyone comes out in those top four major sports, I will absolutely support him, that’s why I do my radio show every day. When these issues come out, I want to have a voice to speak about them. I think growth comes when we share. Until we do that, we’re going to be stuck in the Dark Ages about a lot of things. When a guy steps up and says, ‘This is who I am,’ I guarantee you I’ll give him 100% supports.”
Irvin, who too works for NFL Network went on to say, “I’m not gay, but I was afraid to even let anyone have the thought. I can only imagine the agony — being a prisoner in your own mind — for someone who wants to come out. If I’m not gay and I am afraid to mention it, I can only imagine what an athlete must be going through if he is gay.”
