Posted on 01/30/2014 2:24:15 AM PST by SoFloFreeper
Conner Mertens '17 came out as bisexual today in an article in Outsports magazine the first college football player in the United States to do so publicly while still playing.
In response to the announcement, his team and the Willamette community rallied around Mertens while he issued a statement to the media.
Overwhelmed by well wishes, Mertens said via Twitter, "Absolutely humbled and speechless right now. If you know me, you know how crazy that second part is. I can't say thank you enough."
A native of Kennewick, Wash., Mertens said in the Outsports article that he came out to inspire other LGBT athletes to be true to themselves. He shared the news with head football coach Glen Fowles last week and came out to his team last night.
So far, alumni, students and others have broadcasted their support for Mertens via Facebook and Twitter, saying he's "taking a brave step in the right direction," and that they're proud of "the great team and amazing coaching leadership."
The reaction is mirroring that of the football team, which fills Fowles with pride.
"They were supportive because he's one of their teammates. It was impressive," Fowles said in the Outsports article.
"After that meeting I congratulated the coaches for recruiting good men. We've got something special here. I was so proud of those guys. If that's the future of young men in America, we've got a shot. It was awesome."
Anyone think the NFL players are going to be asked about this?
I wouldn't be surprised if this kid is an "honorary captain" for the Seattle Seahawks.
Probably got word they were going to cut him.
Smart move too, this way he can still get girls and no one will think twice.
I wonder what his roommate’s reaction was?
Sick freak. I hope any NFL players who are asked about this rip the reporter up one side and down the other.
How does one do this exactly...?
"Hey guys guess what... I like to S@#$ D@&* !"
What would be hilarious is. Kids from football teams all over the country start getting the media all together for a big announcement. Then they announce they are heterosexual.
Is this a college football player that has never played for a college team that most have never heard of?
How long before it is demanded that schools be built with a separate complete set of bathrooms & locker rooms for the LBGT community???
Bisexual? C’mon!
All that means is that he has absolutely NO control over his libido.
I ‘get’ that homosexual men may prefer the company of other men, and that homosexual women may prefer the company of other women, but IMO a person living a bisexual lifestyle is demonstrating that they don’t much care one way or the other from where they derive their own pleasure.
To that end, I can’t see how a bisexual person could ever make any claim as to ‘I was born this way’, or ‘god made me this way’, or ‘it must be how I was raised’.
Sorry, just can’t buy that one at all.
Bi-sexual? So, he wants it, he buys it?
Willamette University was established by a Methodist missionary. It has gone liberal, just like all the Methodist churches in Oregon.
Willamette used to be a good Methodist University. I don’t know what happened.
If you would like more information about Oregon, please FReepmail me. I lost my Oregon list when my computer crashed last month.
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