Football player’s coming-out story disproves every dumb theory about gay athletes
Conner Mertens, the Willamette University football team‘s up-and-coming kicker, had asked head coach Glen Fowles for some office time last Monday to discuss something important. Fowles has been on the team’s staff for 18 years. He’s moved up the ranks from offensive line coach to offensive coordinator and a year ago was named the team’s head coach. Before that he played on the offensive line for the Bearcats for two seasons.
In his two decades at Willamette, an hour south of Portland, Ore., he’s never had to handle anything like this.
Fowles and his special teams coordinator feared Mertens would tell them he was transferring to another school. While Mertens is a red-shirt freshman and missed the 2013 season due to injury, he has the potential to be the team’s place kicker for the next four years. It would be a tough loss for the team.
When Mertens arrived for the meeting, Fowles started a subtle soft-sell on the school. Willamette offered great opportunities, the personnel was top-notch, the academics were stellar and Mertens’ future with the team was bright. Mertens laughed.
“I’m not going anywhere, coach,” Mertens said.
That was a relief.
Mertens asked Fowles if he was a good kicker. Fowles confirmed. He then asked if his role on the team would be affected by things he did off the field, or if he’d be judged by his performance. All that mattered to Fowles was whether he could kick that ball through those two goal posts. That was reassuring, Mertens said, because he had something very personal to share with his coach.
“I’m bisexual,” Mertens told Fowles. “I like dudes. I have a boyfriend. And next week, I’m going to tell the world.”
http://www.salon.com/2014/02/01/football_players_coming_out_story_disproves_every_dumb_theory_about_gay_athletes/
https://twitter.com/ConnerMertens/status/428007473836859392
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