R.K. Russell opens up about being Black and bisexual in the NFL — and how to make sports more inclusive

Ryan Russell selection during 2015 NFL Draft in Chicago
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Ryan Russell is one of only 16 players in NFL history to come out as gay or bisexual — and one of only three — alongside Michael Sam and Carl Nassib — to do it before retiring.

Russell, who goes by R.K., was drafted in the fifth round by the Dallas Cowboys in 2015. The defensive end played one season with Dallas before landing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he played 14 games in the 2017 season.

The following year, Russell signed as a free agent with the Buffalo Bills but was released in September 2018, as he was dealing with a shoulder injury.

A year later he came out as bisexual in a personal essay for ESPN.

“My truth is that I’m a talented football player, a damn good writer, a loving son, an overbearing brother, a caring friend, a loyal lover, and a bisexual man,” he wrote.

Russell, now 29, is eager to get back into the NFL—his agent is in talks with teams looking for backups. In the meantime, he’s…

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