Former San Francisco 49ers left tackle Kwame Harris has recently come out the closet in regards to being a homosexual. It just so happens that Harris was only outed after a domestic dispute between himself and an ex boyfriend became public.
Harris wants gay NFL players to know that they are not alone, and he told USA Today he wishes he had come out sooner, especially while he was still playing.
“The cost was great not speak candidly open about myself in complete manner,” Harris said. “If I could have done it differently, I would have hoped I found the strength [to come out].”
“I want people, whether gay athletes, athletes still in the closet, or youths who are not sure what their sexuality is to know those are common feelings,” Harris said. “Don’t feel alone in having them.”
“You want to escape the despair and turmoil and your mind goes to dark places,” Harris said of keeping his sexuality secret. “I’m happy today, and I’m glad they were just ideas and I didn’t act on any of them”
Harris now joins a small group of former NFL players who have come out as openly gay, a group that includes Roy Simmons, Wade Davis, Esera Tuaolo and Dave Kopay. The NFL has never had an openly gay active player, but according to reports, that could soon change.