In a recent interview, Arizona State offensive lineman Edward “Chip” Sarafin became the first active Division I college football player to come out as gay.
Sarafin, a 6-foot-6, 320-pound fifth-year senior from Gilbert, Ariz., decided to make his sexual orientation public in an interview with Phoenix-based Compete Magazine. The article focused on Sarafin’s biomedical engineering studies at ASU and mentions that Sarafin began to come out to his teammates last spring.
“It was really personal to me, and it benefitted my peace of mind greatly,” he said.
Sarafin is following in the footsteps of former Missouri defensive end Michael Sam, who came out following a standout career with the Tigers and was drafted by the St. Louis Rams. Though Sam had come out to his teammates during his senior season, the news had not been made public. Sarafin will be the first to be an active member of a high-level college football team and be openly gay.
Sarafin is a walk-on who has mainly contributed on the scout team during his time with the program, but also “provided protection” on special teams in 2013, according to his player bio on Arizona State’s website.
Both head coach Todd Graham and athletic director Ray Anderson released statements of support for Sarafin.
Arizona State’s season opens up at home against Weber State on August 28. The Sun Devils are coming off a 10-4 record in 2013.
(H/T Out Sports )
For more Arizona State news, visit ASUDevils.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
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