Ex-NFL player Wade Davis inspired by kid to come out as gay

Former National Football League (NFL) player Wade Davis has revealed that a young boy inspired him to have the confidence of coming out as gay.

Davis, who is an American speaker, writer, activist and educator now, said that he had never even thought about telling anyone that he was gay, as he never saw someone who was gay who looked like him, acted like him and was accepted.

According to the People Magazine, Davis, who overheard slurs as a child that labeled others, said that he diverted his attention from his own sexual awakening by bullying a gay high school classmate.

Davis, who shuffled through three NFL teams and two seasons of NFL Europe to keep his identity in check from 200-2003, said that during his playing time in Berlin there had been a part of him that was getting exhausted with keeping his identity a secret from his teammates and another part of him that felt that his teammates would be okay with it.

Davis, who is now the executive director of the You Can Play Project, said that he could not say the word 'gay' out loud then, but if his teammates just found out then it would have been cool with him.

The former American football player's outlook about his identity changed after his career ended as he found a gay recreational sports league while living in New York City in 2005.

Davis, who came out publicly himself in 2012, said that everything that he learned, he was taught by a young man, adding that he really, truly envies any person who is out at a young age, as he looks at them with admiration and just wants to tell them how courageous they are.

Davis said that he would love to offer a sincere apology to his high school friend, whom he had bullied for being a gay, adding that he would love to offer him his heart and thanks because he showed him how one should show up in the world with vulnerability and fearlessness.