In 2014, Michael Sam historically became the first NFL drafted player to come out as gay.

Now Ryan Russell, 27, also chooses to be open with his sexual orientation. According to CBS News, Russel is currently the only player in America's four professional leagues that is openly bisexual or gay.

"Was ashamed of who I was"

“Until recently, I did not love myself enough to live openly and honestly. I was ashamed of who I was. Countless nights I prayed to God to remove this part of me. I was ashamed of loving women because I knew I could love men too, ”Russell writes on ESPN, continuing:

“I stayed up so many nights because of fear of being discovered, fear that the professional sports world would reject me because of how I was born. I lied to myself every time I could. I looked at myself in the mirror and lied. "

After a successful college career, Russel was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 2015. He stayed there for one season before playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for two seasons.

“Have I lied to teammates, coaches, office managers and fans about who I am? Not directly. But withholding information is a form of fraud. And I want the next step of my career - and life - to be filled with confidence and honesty, ”Russell writes.

"I want to live my dream"

Currently, Russell is a free agent after the Tampa contract was torn down.

“Today, I have two goals: Returning to the NFL, and living my life openly. I want to live my dream of practicing the sport I've struggled with all my life to play, and I want to be open with the person I've always been. ”