Congratulations! First HBCU Football Player to Come Out As Gay Entering 2024 NFL Draft
Byron Perkins is taking his talents on the field to the NFL next year.
If you recall, the Hampton University defensive back made history after he publicly came out as gay in October 2022, the first time a football player at an HBCU has done so.
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He added, “Secondly, I would like to thank the fans who have supported me up to this point. I am blessed to have been able to inspire others on and off the field while playing the game that I hold dear to my heart.”
Since Perkins was a child, he said he dreamed of being an elite player. “Not just an elite player, but an elite person,” he wrote. “I pride myself on growth and development. All of my previous endeavors to fully maximize my potential as a leader, student, and athlete has led me to this decision.”
He continued, “I will be entering the 2024 NFL Draft to take my spot amongst the elite athletes, blessed and ready to take our talents to the next level. Why not me? Thank you all again for your support on my journey. Let’s go be great!”
To be clear, this isn’t just talk from Perkins, he told Outsports.com that he plans to lock into a rigorous training regimen, saying, “The next six months of my life after the holidays are going to be nothing but rigorous training schedules. Training upon training to make sure I can compete, and have durability, with some of the best athletes in the world. Making sure I’m in the best physical shape of my life.”
While this is a monumental step for Perkins, he won’t be making history this time around, as he’ll be the third publicly gay athlete to enter the NFL Draft.
The first was Michael Sam, who was a star defensive end at the University of Missouri and ended up being taken in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played zero snaps in the league and ended up eventually playing in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the European League of Football (ELF).
The second was Scott Frantz, an offensive tackle from Kansas State University. He went undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Perkins’ hope is to be the first out player to break through and have a lengthy professional career.
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