Arizona State Linemen Chip Sarafin Becomes First Openly Gay Division 1-A NCAA Football Player

The NCAA now has its first openly gay Division 1-A football player. Arizona State University linemen Edward "Chip" Sarafin made his sexual orientation public when he did an interview with "Compete Magazine". Compete focuses on the struggles of gay athletes around the sports world.

While Michael Sam waited until the end of his college career to discuss his sexual preference, Sarafin saw the importance of coming out while still in college. "It was really personal to me, and benefitted my peace of mind greatly," Sarafin told Joshua Wyrick of Compete.    

The article about Sarafin didn't delve into the commonly discussed topics about "how he came out to his teammates." Wyrick chose to instead focus on painting the picture of a student athlete who has dreams of pursuing a career in the medical field. The only thing separating Sarafin from any other student athlete is that he just happens to be gay.

"It's so important that we teach them this acceptance when they are young so when they actually experience and meet these different kind of people in real life--and they will--they are adequately prepared," Sarafin said.

Arizona State head coach Todd Graham came out in public support of Sarafin, praising his courage and dedication on the field. "We are a brotherhood that is not defined by cultural and personal differences, but rather an individual's commitment to the Sun Devil Way," Graham said. "His commitment to service is unmatched and it is clear he is on his way to leading a successful life after his playing career, a goal that I have for every student-athlete."

Earlier this year when Michael Sam came out, there was a great deal of discussion about what the future of openly gay athletes would be like. Sarafin has so far been accepted with open arms from teammates and the coaching staff alike. Sam was instrumental in opening up the football world to a different breed of player.

In the sports world, when it comes to race or orientation issues, there is always one player who is able to break through the barrier. Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers faced massive persecution for being the first African American player to enter the major leagues. Through his perseverance others were allowed to follow suit and change the ethnic face of the game.

Sarafin has set an example for other gay student athletes who will be hopefully be following in his footsteps in the coming years.