94: Bi Now, Play Later with NFL Veteran R.K. Russell

Former NFL player, Ryan Russell, tells I SEE U that he feels there is an imbalance in male athletics where society does not encourage, support or sustain LGTBQ+ youth in sports, much less create safe space environments early in their development. His latest memoir, “The Yards Between Us,” has allowed him to reminisce on narratives of his own past—of growing up in conservative Dallas; shy, loving the game but struggling with expectations of being Black in the South; and learning to hide things about himself while playing as a defensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Buffalo Bills. Stay tuned as host Eddie Robinson chats candidly with author and social justice advocate, R.K. Russell, who made history by becoming the first out active athlete in the NFL to identify as bisexual. He explores the notion of why players are, at times, showered with support from the league and teammates after coming out but then later find themselves unemployed. Russell, whose boyfriend is a professional dancer, also shares personal insight on interracial relationships and whether the stigma around couples of different races and ethnicities remains.