Former NFL player Ryan Russell made history when he announced to the world that he's bisexual in 2019. Now, he’s going viral once again as people rediscover his story and the hot boyfriend who is frequently on his arm.
A photo taken by paparazzi of Russell holding his boyfriend's hand shortly after coming out is making the rounds on social media again at a time when Heated Rivalry — a show about closeted hockey players falling in love — has sparked widespread discourse about LGBTQ+ players in professional sports.
Sadly, the comments under the post are filled with homophobic, biphobic, and racist rhetoric, making it crystal clear why so few professional athletes have come out of the closet. Despite the hate, Russell is still living his life out loud and proud with his equally cute boyfriend.
The photo resurfacing and going viral on social media may have you wondering who Ryan Russell is, what happened when he came out, and just how hot his boyfriend really is.
Who is Ryan Russell?
Russell is former NFL defensive end who played for the Dallas Cowboys in 2015, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2016 to 2017, and finally the Buffalo Bills in 2018.
In 2018, he sustained a shoulder injury that prevented him from playing again that season, and he ended up retiring from professional football.
After leaving the NFL, Russell went on to become a poet, author, and activist, and he released his memoir The Yards Between Us: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Football in 2023, detailing his journey as a bisexual NFL player who struggled to keep his sexuality a secret.
When did Ryan Russell come out?
Russell came out publicly in 2019 in an essay for ESPN, where he wrote, "My truth is that I'm a talented football player, a damn good writer, a loving son, an overbearing brother, a caring friend, a loyal lover, and a bisexual man."
The athlete explained that he was fearful about the reaction to his sexuality, considering how few out players there are in any sport, but was determined to stop lying and live as his "full self."
"Judging from the fact that there isn't a single openly LGBTQ player in the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball or the NHL brings me pause," he wrote. "I want to change that — for me, for other athletes who share these common goals, and for the generations of LGBTQ athletes who will come next."
Coming out was a brave choice and a huge step forward for all LGBTQ+ professional athletes, but despite wanting to keep playing for the NFL, he was never signed to another team after making his queer identity public.
Who is his boyfriend Corey O’Brien?
Russell met his longtime boyfriend Corey O’Brien in 2019 after he matched with him on Tinder just months before he came out publicly.
O’Brien had no idea who Russell was when they met, and has admitted that all these years later, he still doesn’t know anything about football. "No, I still don’t know anything about football other than the fact that he tackles me," he said in a TikTok video last year.
O’Brien is a former dancer and current comedian and social media content creator who has more than 2 million followers on TikTok and Instagram.
Last year, O’Brien took his comedy show on the road, touring through conservative states "because I feel like going into these places and being my authentic self is a sign of resistance and rebellion," he told People.
Are they making a TV show about Ryan Russell’s life?
Sony Pictures TV optioned Russell"s memoir The Yards Between Us in 2023 with plans to turn it into a half-hour comedy series. Russell is slated to write and be an executive producer alongside Gabriel Union through her production banner.
So far, the show is still in development with no word on when it will come to fruition.
