David Kopay
{{Short description|American football player (born 1942)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{BLP sources|date=February 2014}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = David Kopay
| image =
| caption = David Kopay yearbook photo in Sherman Oaks, CA, 1960. Photo Notre Dame High School.
| number = 43, 40
| position = Running back
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1942|6|28}}
| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 0
| weight_lbs = 218
| high_school = Notre Dame
(Sherman Oaks, California)
| college = Washington
| undraftedyear = 1964
| pastteams =
- San Francisco 49ers ({{NFL Year|1964}}–{{NFL Year|1967}})
- Detroit Lions ({{NFL Year|1968}})
- Washington Redskins ({{NFL Year|1969}}–{{NFL Year|1970}})
- New Orleans Saints ({{NFL Year|1971}})
- Green Bay Packers ({{NFL Year|1972}})
| highlights =
| statlabel1 = Rushing Yards
| statvalue1 = 876
| statlabel2 = Average
| statvalue2 = 3.7
| statlabel3 = Touchdowns
| statvalue3 = 3
| pfr = K/KopaDa00
}}
David Marquette Kopay (born June 28, 1942) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Washington Huskies. In 1975, he became one of the first professional athletes to come out as gay.
Life
Kopay attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California. He entered the University of Washington in 1961.{{Cite web |title=David Kopay, alum and gay athlete, donates $1 million to UW's Q Center |url=https://www.washington.edu/news/2007/09/05/david-kopay-alum-and-gay-athlete-donates-1-million-to-uws-q-center/ |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=UW News |language=en}} He was on the West roster as a halfback at the All-America East vs. West Football Game in 1964.{{cite journal|journal=All-America Football Game Program|title=Game Program|volume=4th Annual|page=16|date=June 27, 1964}} Kopay was signed by the San Francisco 49ers,{{Cite web |last=Simon |first=Ray |date=2022-10-08 |title=Dave Kopay shocked the sports world in 1975 |url=https://epgn.com/2022/10/08/dave-kopay-shocked-the-sports-world-in-1975/ |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=Philadelphia Gay News |language=en-US}} and played professional football from 1964 to 1972. After he retired from the NFL, he was considered a top contender for coaching positions, but he believes he was snubbed by professional and college teams because of his sexual orientation.{{cite news| url=http://www.advocate.com/commentary/2013/08/29/op-ed-what-happened-when-i-met-dave-kopay| title=Op-ed: What Happened When I Met Dave Kopay| last=Adkins| first=Jeremie| date=August 20, 2013| work=The Advocate| accessdate=August 29, 2013| quote=[Kopay] wrote a book about coming out and he got blacklisted by everyone and couldn't get work in the industry anymore and it was kinda sad, but he went on to work for his family flooring business.}} Kopay went to work as a salesman/purchaser in his uncle's floorcovering business in Hollywood. He is also a board member of the Gay and Lesbian Athletics Foundation.{{Cite web |title=David Kopay |url=https://www.athletespeakers.com/speaker/david-kopay |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=Celebrity Speakers For Speaking Engagements {{!}} AthleteSpeakers |language=en}}
Kopay's 1977 biography, The David Kopay Story, written with Perry Deane Young, became a best-seller.{{cite book |last1=LeVay |first1=Simon |author2=Elisabeth Nonas |title=City of Friends: A Portrait of the Gay and Lesbian Community in America |publisher=The MIT Press |location=Cambridge, Massachusetts |page=[https://archive.org/details/cityoffriendspor00leva/page/66 66] |year=1995 |isbn=978-0-2621-2194-1 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/cityoffriendspor00leva/page/66}} In 1986, Kopay, without naming him, revealed his brief affair with Jerry Smith, a football player who played for the Washington Redskins from 1965 to 1977 and who died of AIDS without ever having publicly come out of the closet.{{cite news| title=He Was One of Us| url=https://www.si.com/vault/2016/02/11/he-was-one-us| magazine=Sports Illustrated| date=January 11, 2016| accessdate=May 21, 2020}}
Social impact
Since Kopay, six additional former NFL players have come out as gay, Roy Simmons in 1992,{{Cite web |last=Momodu |first=Samuel |date=2019-09-01 |title=Roy Franklin Simmons (1956-2014) • |url=https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/roy-franklin-simmons-1956-2014/ |access-date=2024-05-08 |language=en-US}} Esera Tuaolo in 2002,{{Cite web |last=Buzinski |first=Jim |title=Moment #16: Former NFL player Esera Tuaolo comes out as gay |url=https://www.outsports.com/2011/9/15/4051832/moment-16-former-nfl-player-esera-tuaolo-comes-out-as-gay/ |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=OutSports}} Wade Davis in 2012, Kwame Harris in 2013, Ryan O'Callaghan in 2017, and Colton Underwood in 2021. To date, only one current NFL player, Carl Nassib, has come out publicly as gay (in 2021).{{Cite web|last1=Price|first1=Christopher|last2=McInerney|first2=Katie|date=June 21, 2021|title=Raiders' Carl Nassib becomes first active NFL player to come out as gay|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/06/21/sports/raiders-carl-nassib-becomes-first-active-nfl-player-come-out-gay/|access-date=2021-06-22|website=BostonGlobe.com|language=en-US}} Kopay has been credited with inspiring these athletes to be more open about their sexual orientation. In May 1977, Kopay was on the cover of GPU (Gay People's Union) News of Milwaukee.
Kopay appears as himself in a small but pivotal role in the film Tru Loved (2008). His scene features young actor Matthew Thompson and Alexandra Paul.
Kopay became a Gay Games Ambassador for the Federation of Gay Games. He went to Gay Games VII in Chicago in July 2006 and was a featured announcer in the opening ceremonies.
Kopay announced in September 2007 that he will leave $1 million as an endowment to the University of Washington Q Center.{{cite journal| last=Naito| first=Jon| title=Homecoming| url=http://www.washington.edu/alumni/columns/dec08/kopay.html| journal=Columns Magazine| date=December 2008}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
;Books
- {{cite book
| last =Kopay
| first =David
| title =The David Kopay Story: An Extraordinary Self-Revelation
| publisher =Arbor House Pub Co
| year =1977
| pages =247 pages
| isbn =0-87795-145-4 }}
;Websites
- {{cite journal |last=Buzinski |first=Jim |title=Dave Kopay: Still Going Strong |url=http://www.outsports.com/nfl/2002/kopay0902.htm |accessdate=December 12, 2008 |journal=Outsports |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216003905/http://www.outsports.com/nfl/2002/kopay0902.htm |archivedate=December 16, 2008}}
- [http://www.dallasvoice.com/artman/exec/view.cgi/83/6239"Football Player Who Came Out in 70s Scores Film Role"]{{dead link|date=May 2020}}
- [http://www.mysocalledgaylife.com/usa/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4613&Itemid=65 "Dave Kopay, Pioneer Gay Athlete, Joins Cast of Film TRU LOVED"]{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kopay, David}}
Category:American football running backs
Category:Detroit Lions players
Category:Green Bay Packers players
Category:LGBTQ people from Illinois
Category:American gay sportsmen
Category:New Orleans Saints players
Category:Players of American football from Chicago
Category:San Francisco 49ers players
Category:University of Washington alumni
Category:Washington Huskies football players
Category:Washington Redskins players
Category:LGBTQ players of American football