Following the lead of Michael Sam, football player Brad Thorson has come out as gay in a blog post.

Thorson, a former National Football League (NFL) prospect and defensive lineman for Wisconsin and Kansas, wrote a blog post entitled “Seeing Through The Fog” in which he talks about coming to terms with his sexuality.

The 26 year-old wrote:

“I’ve been told many times that the process of coming out is cathartic. Yet since coming to terms with my sexuality, I found it arduous and unnecessary. At least that’s what I kept telling myself. So today, I’m putting it in writing and not looking back.
 

“I’m gay. I’m also an athlete. For years, I struggled to unite these two identities in my own mind. Not until after my professional athletic career came to an end did I allow myself to understand my sexuality. Now, three years later, I’m finally ready to share that with people.”

 

He also cited athletes like basketball player Jason Collins and NFL player Michael Sam as inspiration for his decision to publicly come out.
Following the post, Thorson told Outsports, “I had tried to write it many times before but just didn’t have the right words to say.

“I got home on Wednesday and wrote it out and thought it was fitting for this weekend, so I took the plunge. I was so nervous before I wrote it, but once I wrote it I was proud of writing it and it wasn’t something I wanted to hide away anymore.

“As soon as I hit send, it all dissipated and I remembered that I had all of my friends and family who already supported me. It was a real relief afterward. Everyone who has reached out have been nothing but supportive. I should have expected that all along.”

Earlier this year, Michael Sam made history by becoming the first ever openly gay NFL player.