When Michael Sam announced he was coming out as openly gay, he was already done with college football and headed into the NFL draft. Edward Sarafin of Arizona State is the first player who is active in College Football that has come out publicly.
The offensive lineman who is a fifth year senior spoke to Complete Magazine and came out after speaking to his teammates. He graduated with a degree in biomedical engineering, and is now enrolled in the graduate program for the same subject. He has been involved in research for football-related concussions, and has been active in the community with youth sports and the Tillman Scholars program.
He has been a backup his entire career with the Sun Devils, working out with the scout team earlier in his career and being part of squad depth last year. The 6-6, 320 pounds cited Michael Sam as the impetus for him reaching out: It was really personal to me and it benefited my peace of mind greatly.
Todd Graham, his head coach: We are a brotherhood that is not defined by cultural and personal differences, but rather an individual’s commitment to the Sun Devil Way. Chip is a fifth-year senior and a Scholar Baller, a graduate and a master’s student. 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. Diversity and acceptance are two of the pillars of our program, and he has full support from his teammates and the coaching staff.
It’s not quite clear if he’ll get any playing time this season, but if in the past no one actually noticed that he didn’t get a single second of playing time in Sun Devil uniform, we’ll be hearing a lot more of it this season.