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David Kopay is not a name common to most sports fans. It should be. Kopay was an NFL running back for five different teams – San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, Washington Redskins, New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers – for nine seasons between 1964 and 1972.
Kopay finished his career with rather modest stats. He gained only 876 yards from scrimmage and scored only three touchdowns. But Kopay’s legacy is not measured in yards per carry and broken tackles.
His legacy is based on something much more.
David Kopay was the first NFL player – and one of only three in history – to publicly announce that he is a homosexual.
In 1975, two years after his retirement, Kopay made his groundbreaking announcement. But this came as no surprise to those close to the NFL scene, as Kopay’s sexuality was far from secret.
He openly had a relationship with former Washington teammate Jerry Smith. It was never publicly stated, but Kopay has said that his coach at the time, Vince Lombardi, knew about the situation.
It is widely accepted to be the reason why Kopay was never interviewed by mainstream media, nor was he involved in any endorsement deals at any stage of his career.
David Kopay repeatedly claimed that by making his orientation public, it would help gay athletes’ fight to gain mainstream acceptance and respect from all corners of society. Kopay stated that the battle for gay player’s rights and respect in the public sphere would take years, not decades.
He learned the hard way that the sporting world was not ready to welcome the gay community into its playing ranks. Immediately following his 1973 retirement, Kopay was considered a hot coaching prospect, yet after his announcement, interest cooled. Upon the release of his 1977 autobiography, Kopay was not on any NFL or college teams’ radar.
Over three decades later, Kopay is still the subject of bigotry driven hostility and hatred.
Yet, even through all the abuse, Kopay continued his fight. And it seems that almost four decades later, the moment Kopay dreamed of may have finally arrived.
In the past month, Phoenix Suns president Rick Welts became the first executive in men’s sports to announce he was a homosexual. ESPN New York radio personality Jared Max ‘came out’ live on his show. Sean Avery of the NHL’s New York Rangers – one of the league’s biggest stars – spoke out in support of same-sex marriage.
However, comments made by Charles Barkley – NBA Hall-of-Famer and analyst for US Network TNT – are perhaps the most significant.
In a radio interview on Washington’s 106.7 The Fan one of the highest rating programs in the area, Barkley categorically dismissed claims that male athletes are homophobic and the sporting locker room is not ready for openly gay teammates.
“First of all, every player has played with gay guys,” Barkley told 106.7 The Fan, further stating that any player who says he hasn’t is “a stone-freakin’ idiot.”
“It bothers me when I hear these reporters and jocks get on TV and say: ‘Oh, no guy can come out in a team sport. These guys would go crazy.’ First of all, quit telling me what I think. I’d rather have a gay guy who can play than a straight guy who can’t play,” Barkley said.
Barkley’s comments, combined with the events of the past week, have been so monumental many have referred to them as generational.
Cyd Zeigler, editor of Outsports – a website for “gay sports fans and athletes” – went as far as comparing them to the historic events of 1947. “What 1947 was to black people in sports, 2011 will be to gay people in sports,” Zeigler said.
Zeigler is of course referring to the historic moment when Jackie Robinson became the first black man to play US Major League baseball. It was seen as one of the key drivers of the civil rights movement in America. Zeigler’s comments show just how important this issue is in the sporting world.
There are currently no openly gay active athletes in any of the four main US sporting leagues (NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL) and no active player in a mainstream Australian sport has ever publicly come out. Former AFL star Jason Akermanis even wrote an article last year saying that any gay players should not come out, in fear of the damage it would cause.
Hopefully any homosexual athlete would look at the events of the last month, and be encouraged to make what will be a monumental announcement, by coming out of the closet.
The fight that David Kopay and other gay athletes and advocates are fighting is not yet over.
The incredibly masculine world of professional sport, that once perceived homosexuality as a weakness, is changing. Athletes and fans who have accepted homosexuality in mainstream society, are now taking the lead in this change.
Sports fans should be more concerned on whether a player on my team can make a jump-shot or kick a goal from 50 metres, rather than what he does once he leaves the field.
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