Former NFL defensive back Troy Vincent has been in his new job for a grand total of one week. Now the Executive Vice President of Football Operations, Vincent spoke with the media Wednesday on a range of topics, including the recent announcement by Michael Sam, the first openly gay player attempting to make an NFL roster.
But Vincent said that he had openly gay teammates during his career and that their sexual orientation was never an issue.
“I'm not going to share their names, but in my 15 years, there were six individuals who were at least openly gay in the locker room,” Vincent said, via the Palm Beach Post. “No problem. From my days in Miami until I ended in Washington, they were just my teammates. Just like my family members. … We ate together, we flew together, they're roommates in hotel rooms. It was what it was.”
This echoes what Packers linebacker Clay Matthews said last months when asked if it would be a problem to have a gay player in the locker room.
"No, we don't have a problem," Matthews said during a radio interview with Boomer & Carton. "And I don't think we would because the unique thing about the NFL locker room is that every player can attest to that we don't see race, religion or sexual orientation. We see simply 'Can you help us win ball games? Can you help us produce on the football field?'
"And I think that's what makes it so unique and so much different than PC America. That's why you can have a multitude of players who are black, white, Polynesian, gay -- whatever it may be in this case -- and come together and play for a common goal."
And, ultimately, that's the point: it's about on-field production, not sexual preference.
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-...ly-gay-players
But Vincent said that he had openly gay teammates during his career and that their sexual orientation was never an issue.
“I'm not going to share their names, but in my 15 years, there were six individuals who were at least openly gay in the locker room,” Vincent said, via the Palm Beach Post. “No problem. From my days in Miami until I ended in Washington, they were just my teammates. Just like my family members. … We ate together, we flew together, they're roommates in hotel rooms. It was what it was.”
This echoes what Packers linebacker Clay Matthews said last months when asked if it would be a problem to have a gay player in the locker room.
"No, we don't have a problem," Matthews said during a radio interview with Boomer & Carton. "And I don't think we would because the unique thing about the NFL locker room is that every player can attest to that we don't see race, religion or sexual orientation. We see simply 'Can you help us win ball games? Can you help us produce on the football field?'
"And I think that's what makes it so unique and so much different than PC America. That's why you can have a multitude of players who are black, white, Polynesian, gay -- whatever it may be in this case -- and come together and play for a common goal."
And, ultimately, that's the point: it's about on-field production, not sexual preference.
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-...ly-gay-players
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