Andrew Luck gay Teammate: Draft Pick Shows Support For Gay Teammate

Andrew Luck has come in support of a gay player declaring his sexuality to the public. The number one overall pick of 2012 is making news by saying that he would have no concerns about a gay teammate in the National Football League.

“It’s the 21st Century, and I know I would have absolutely no problem with it,” Luck told CNN, via theindychannel.com. “I hope no one would treat him any differently than any straight player, no special treatment- he’s just another guy.”

While the proclamation by Luck is in step with the NFL stance, it is significant because of his high profile. The fact that it comes just a few days after another player made statements that seemed less accepting is notable.

“To each his own,” Minnesota Vikings standout Adrian Peterson said when asked about gay marriage. “I’m not with it.”

The talk around being gay in sports will likely continue to build until more players come out as gay and the point becomes moot. Once there is widespread acceptance, statements like the one from Luck will go unnoticed if the reaction is positive.

“When it does come, if it does come, I’d be disappointed if there was a negative reaction,” Luck added

As Andrew Florio From NBC Sports points out, there is still lots of work that needs to be done before a gay athlete is widely accepted by teammates and fans alike.

The problem remains that coming out makes a player who is “just another guy” into something more than that.  As we’ve said repeatedly (and as NBA player Jason Collins explained when he came out), players don’t want to create distractions for the team.

The problem is that, to get to the point where being openly gay isn’t a distraction, someone needs to be the one who eases us all into the hot tub of water.  It will only cease to be a big deal after someone does it, the media saturates the story (like it did with Jason Collins), and then we all realize that the world is still spinning while rotating around a giant ball of perpetually burning gas.