Everyone has weighed in on Missouri defensive end Michael Sam being the first openly gay NFL player, potentially. He won’t be the first gay NFL player though, former NFL defensive tackle Esera Tuaolo is gay but not openly during his NFL career, so when he weighs in on Sam’s situation he has an interesting perspective.
“We’re living in different times,” Tuaolo said. “It was 20 years ago when I came into the league, and it was not an environment where I could come out. The homophobia and the words and language back then was absolutely ridiculous, and nobody would be held accountable for it. In the last 10 years, it hasn’t been like that. Any time now, when a player or coach lashes out, they are held accountable for their words. If there’s a time that a player should come out, this is the time.”
“For the last decade, it’s been a hot topic in politics,” Tuaolo said. “It’s been a hot topic in the sports world. People are tired of hate, they are tired of another group disrespecting or degrading another group. And there has been a lot more education out there.
“It’s the same with women’s rights. And then civil rights. There’s only so much you can hate on an individual before you start judging with your heart.”