Former New England Patriots offensive tackle Ryan O'Callaghan has come out as gay in an interview with Out Sports. The 33-year-old, who played for the Patriots during their undefeated 2007 season, revealed he had planned to take his own life rather than reveal his sexuality.
O'Callaghan was drafted by the Patriots in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. After a shoulder injury led to his release before the 2009 season, he joined the Kansas City Chiefs. Following another shoulder injury, he left the NFL and began abusing prescription drugs, spending up to $400 a day on Vicodin. He wrote a suicide note, distanced himself from friends and family, and built a cabin filled with guns where he intended to end his life.
O'Callaghan said that playing for the Patriots under coach Bill Belichick helped him focus on football and avoid distractions. He never heard homophobic slurs in the NFL locker room but struggled with teammates' constant talk about women. To avoid suspicion, he once brought a friend's ex-girlfriend as his date to an event hosted by Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
His downward spiral ended when Chiefs head trainer David Price insisted he see a counsellor. During therapy, O'Callaghan came out for the first time, nearly two decades after realising he was gay in junior high school. He described the relief of being honest, saying, 'It takes a lot more strength to be honest with yourself than it does to lie.'
