Sports

We don't often hear about too many professional athletes being gay, but now that a former NFL star has come out of the closet and admitted to knowing he was gay for quite some time, other sports figures may be less intimidated to do the same.

And while a player being gay probably would've caused a stir 20 or even 10 years ago, in this day and age, it's really not a big deal at all. People are so much more accepting now of those who are gay -- to the point where it's virtually unthinkable that anyone would have a problem with an athlete coming out.

And although he hid the fact that he was gay for a number of years because he thought it would hurt his chances of making an NFL roster -- Wade Davis finally got sick and tired of hiding who he was. He officially came out in an interview with OutSports.com.

It must have been so tough for Wade not to be able to be honest with himself while he was working with the Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins, and Seattle Seahawks. It can't be easy for a gay man to be involved in professional sports in general, but I imagine football is even harder, considering the nature of the sport. Even though we'd like to think his teammates would've accepted him for who he is, odds are good that he would've been subjected to a lot of grief on the field, not to mention in the locker room. It's understandable that he remained silent until he was done with the NFL.

But hopefully now that he's spoken up, others will be less afraid to follow in his footsteps, no matter what sport they play. 

Do you think being a gay professional athlete is a big deal?

Image via juggernautco/Flickr