The prospect of an openly gay player in the NFL became very real to America earlier this year when decorated former college football star Michael Sam came out as he entered the NFL draft. Since then, there’s been a national debate about gay players in the locker room and the impact it would have on the NFL. However, former NFL player Tyro Vincent recently spoke out against those opposed to having a gay teammate, saying that he played with six openly gay players during his career.
On March 26, Vincent, a five-time Pro Bowl defensive back who last played in 2006, spoke to reporters at the NFL owners’ meeting and explained that he shared a locker room with gay teammates.
“I’m not going to share their names, but in my 15 years, there were six individuals who were at least openly gay in the locker room,” Vincent said, via Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post.
Despite the the argument that some NFL players make about the discomfort with having to, for instance, share a shower with an openly gay player, Vincent argues that it really wasn’t a big deal for him and that all of his teammates, whether gay or straight, were treated the same, at least by him.
“No problem. From my days in Miami until I ended in Washington, they were just my teammates. Just like my family members. … We ate together, we flew together, they’re roommates in hotel rooms. It was what it was,” Vincent said.
And Vincent wasn’t the only former player in recent times to speak about having gay teammates. Read what four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Drew Bledsoe had to say about the matter after the cut. –nicholas robinson
