Former Dallas Cowboy Jeff Rohrer Becomes The First Married Openly Gay NFL Player

Jeff Rohrer has made history by becoming the first openly gay NFL player to be married after he tied the knot with his boyfriend, skin-care expert, Joshua Ross on Sunday. ⠀

“We’re the one for each other,” Rohrer told People magazine. “It’s unexpected, but it’s undeniable. And people can see it when they’re around us. We’re in a good place now, and I’m thankful to not have to live in the shadows.”

The ceremony took place at Wattles Mansion, at the foot of a popular hiking area called Runyon Canyon in Hollywood.

Rohrer says he was “completely in the closet before meeting Ross,” and “if not for Josh, I’d still be in there,” he added. 

A second-round draft pick from Yale, Rohrer played sparingly when he initially joined the league  but eventually transitioned to the starting line up for three seasons as a linebacker with the Cowboys. He has played in 83 games over six seasons with the team. 

“If I had told the Dallas Cowboys in the 1980s that I was gay, I would have been cut immediately,” Rohrer explained to The New York Times. “It was a different world back then; people didn’t want to hear that.”

Rohrer is one of several former NFL players to come out as gay after their careers ended. Michael Sam, the first openly gay player to be drafted by the NFL, was invited briefly signed to a Cowboys’ practice, but never played in a regular season game.