Ex-Patriot Comes Out As Gay, Had Planned Suicide

FOXBOROUGH, MA — Former New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs tackle Ryan O'Callaghan always planned on killing himself after football because he couldn't live as a gay man.

O'Callaghan came out as gay in an interview with Out Sports published Tuesday morning.

O'Callaghan, who was raised in Redding, California, and played college football for Cal, was drafted by the Patriots in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. In his three years with the team, he said every conversation, practice and poster in the locker room was about winning, and distractions were not allowed.

While he said he can't recall hearing a gay slur in his six years with the Patriots and Chiefs, he does remember the sexualized talk about women. He would go grab coffee after practice to avoid showering with teammates. He even brought the ex-girlfriend of a former college teammate to an anniversary party for team owner Robert Kraft and his late wife Myra. The date's sole purpose was to be seen as the woman on his arm, he said.

After being let go by the Patriots in 2009, O'Callaghan played three more years with the Chiefs. Following the end of his NFL career, he began his plan to end his life. The Chiefs encouraged him to seek counseling, which may have saved his life.

Click here to read the full story from Out Sports.

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