As he told a reporter for the UW alumni magazine, I wanted to do something meaningful, to leave something behind that would benefit people whose experiences and feelings I shared and can understand., When asked about what he would feel watching Carl Nassib play in the NFL as an openly gay man, Kopay told Outsports in September 2021, It will be emotional, hugely emotional., Theres a few of us that paved the way and it makes me incredibly happy.. Kopay, who had been retired three years, wanted to prove these people wrong and contacted the writer, Lynn Rosellini. Kopay still gets letters from people who talk about the books impact on their lives. 3132). I grew to really appreciate the thousands of letters people sent me telling their own stories, but sometimes even that wasnt enough.. When Marquette dropped its football program the next year, he transferred to the UW, where his older brother, Tony, was on the team. More importantly, he knew that he could make a difference by talking to her on the record. He finally broke through in his senior season, averaging over 48 minutes a game to lead the team. David Kopay, an NFL running back who played for five teams (San Francisco, Detroit, Washington, New Orleans, Green Bay) between 1964-72, becomes the first professional team-sport athlete to come . He is an actor, known for Tru Loved (2008), Paper Lion (1968) and The NFL on CBS (1956). Kopay piled up 1,469 all-purpose yards with five teams (San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions . Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group. In 1961, he transferred to the University of Washington where, in addition to playing football, he joined the fraternity Theta Chi. August 1, 2001 . Some inaccurately perceived Kopay as a "dumb jock" when his apolitical background highlighted an excusable naivet. Dave Kopay papers Dates approximately 1970s-2001 (inclusive) 1970-2001 1970-2001. Despite that, the book ends on a hopeful note. Kopay's book spent ten weeks on the New York Times best-seller list. What's remarkable is that it took almost five decades for it to happen. Rosellinis article drew a firestorm of criticism. He was a major babe and a hero to every gay person.. David Kopay is 76-years-old . David Kopay is gay. [CDATA[ ." David Kopay was born on June 28, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was partly confusion over his sexuality. I was very affected by TIMEs piece on Leonard Matlovich, Kopay said. Writer Rita Mae Brown lamented that David "could have been so important to us, in so many ways. After completing his autobiography, Kopay briefly relocated to several cities before accepting a job from his Uncle Bill at Hollywood's Linoleum City, where he has worked as a sales manager for many years. David Kopay. Kopay rejoiced at Rosellini's series and was finally ready to acknowledge publicly his homosexuality. Love beads and long hair are considered depraved by the average football coach, Dowling noted, and homosexuality a crime of almost unspeakable dimensions.. His turbulent, Lobo, Rebecca: 1973: Basketball Player I joined Golden Gate Wrestling Club in 2003 not because I was gay, but because it was the only legitimate wrestling club I could . Kopays experience of San Francisco was much different this time. Void in ONT. Kopays account of his time in the NFL is curious. (Divorce occurred only many years later.). His motivation seemed to be twofold: on the one hand, he imagined it as an opportunity to be good, and, on the other hand, it offered an escape from an unhappy home. It meant a lot to him that this school honored an openly gay alum, and he was moved to tears as he recounted being warmly greeted by not only past graduates but current students and their parents. I've always wanted to write you somehow to thank you in the 80s, but, I suppose History . Kopays father, Anton, who died in 1990, was never fully comfortable with his sons homosexuality. After a cross country book tour, Kopay moved to San Francisco, where hed begun his NFL career in 1964. Ted was somebody who seemed to respond to me with a special warmth, and that was something I had never known in a friend. 2023 University of Washington | Seattle, WA. And politics have estranged Kopay from his younger brother and sister specifically their voting for George W. Bush in the 2004 election. Years later, when he finally went public about his homosexuality, some former teammates were amazed at his ability to perform under so much internal strain. He is from USA. An unnamed teammate from the old Washington Redskins summed Kopay up nicely for the Washington Daily News: He enjoys hitting people, hes got a mean streak and he knows something about these teams., By December 1975, however, Kopay was 33 and had been retired for two years. Buy a cheap copy of The David Kopay Story book by Perry Deane Young. Kopay doesn't spare himself. Kopays motivation for speaking out was twofold. Advocate, 10 March 1976, pp. In an interview with Philadelphia Gay News shortly after the books release, Kopay said he drew inspiration from Air Force Sergeant Leonard Matlovich and writer Merle Miller, who also had very public coming out experiences. We conclude our series with the NFL player who remains the most significant out gay athlete of our lifetime: Dave Kopay. There was really a long time where I was repulsed with who I was, Kopay says. The first analyzed survey responses from 1,173 lesbian, gay, and bisexual people aged 15 to 21 and living in the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or . With a one-minute Instagram video, the 28-year-old singlehandedly created gay visibility in the country's most popular professional sport, and his statement emphasized the monumental impact that accepting adults can have on young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or . Because in 1975, David Kopay, a running back who'd played on five different teams before retiring, announced in an interview in The Washington Star that he was gay, making him the first former NFL player or any of America's four major sports to come out. Jerry Smith died of AIDS on October 15, 1986. You know a physical relationship isn't the answer to all your problems, but you also know you need to be held and loved. This is also a man who, in 1975, became the first professional athlete from a major team sport (he retired from the NFL in 1972) to announce publicly that he was gay an act of candor that turned the most masculine of sports on its head, shattering its definitions of courage and toughness. Kopay and Nassib. See terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Unpublished transcript, 19 August 1995. The movement made atremendous mistake with Dave" (Brown, p. 10). He was a guest on The Phil Donahue Show, The Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder, NBC's Today Show, and The David Susskind Show. Kopay (left) horses around with Coach Jim Owens and a teammate at a 1962 game in Husky Stadium. Whats remarkable is that it took almost five decades for it to happen. Jim Buzinski. If one gay man could become a professional football player, perhaps another would not feel relegated to a stereotypic gay jobor life. 12 Apr. Because in 1975, David Kopay, a running back who'd played on five teams before retiring, announced in an interview in the Washington Star that he was Gay, making him the first former player in the NFL or any of America's four major sports to come out. It became a New York Times bestseller in 1977. "It's a new life for me now without football, living openly as a homosexual. There's a whiff of comic novelty to meeting a gay football player. He definitely had a positive influence on me." David Kopay, Perry Deane Young. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (CO/IL/IN/LA/MD/MI/NJ/OH/PA/TN/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), visit OPGR.org (OR), or 1-888-532-3500(VA). Anita DeFrantz did not grow up dreaming of Olympic glory, yet she glided to a bronze medal as an America, Koopman, Ton (actually, Antonius Ger-hardus Michael), Kopell, Bernie 1933 (Bernard Kopell, Bernie Koppel, Bernie Koppell), https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/kopay-david, Sports and the Changing Tides of American Culture in the 1960s. His motivation seemed to be twofold: on the one hand, he imagined it as an opportunity to be good, and, on the other hand, it offered an escape from an unhappy home. . He earned his place on each roster through a combination of gritty determination and physical courage. Former San Francisco 49er David Kopay, Roger Brigham, and the late Patricia Nell Warren were photographed at the 30th anniversary celebration of the Gay Games in West Hollywood in 2012. Kopay stayed with the family business until retiring. His coming out, however, alienated his family. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. Brown, Rita Mae. He was named an All-American and got an offer to try out for the San Francisco 49ers.In the NFLIn his book, Kopay's account of his time in the NFL is curious. After a promising start to his college sports career, Kopay faltered on the gridiron. Kopay, who now resides in Palm . He was on the West roster as a halfback at the All-America East vs. West Football . Rosellinis article drew a firestorm of criticism. The David Kopay Story: An Extraordinary Self-Revelation [Kopay, David, Young, Perry Deane] on Amazon.com. I am proud to call him a teammate. In the years that followed, Kopay continued to wear a mask of heterosexual maleness getting married (and later divorced) and feigning interest in chasing women, hoping to suppress his internal struggle, continuing to live his lie. He contacted Rosellini, and with her story on 11 December 1975 became the first openly gay professional athlete. "I've been meaning to do this for a while now, but I finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my chest." When Kopay reached fourth grade, his family moved to North Hollywood, California. This was the early 1960s, and to declare his homosexuality would have tarred him as an outlier. As his personal life grew increasingly complicated and clandestine, Kopay also struggled on the football field, failing to earn a varsity letter in his junior year. Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History in America, 1st Edition. As he told a reporter for the UW alumni magazine, I wanted to do something meaningful, to leave something behind that would benefit people whose experiences and feelings I shared and can understand., When asked about what he would feel watching Carl Nassib play in the NFL as an openly gay man, Kopay told Outsports in September 2021, It will be emotional, hugely emotional., Theres a few of us that paved the way and it makes me incredibly happy.. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Athletic administrator . I was ready to be lovers for life. This is a man who, while an All-American running back at the University of Washington in the early 1960s, was known for his hard-nosed playing style, and who carved out nine seasons in the National Football League on grit and moxie. He entered the University of Washington in 1961. And you didnt even know it. Kopay had also struggled to come to terms with his romantic and physical attraction to other men. He acknowledges mistakes, like getting entangled with a quack psychiatrist and marrying a woman even though he knew he was gay. David Kopay, circa 1971. Join; Jump to ratings and reviews. The stories had used anonymous sources, and Kopay felt that if an accurate portrayal of being gay in professional sports were to be written, it needed a face. But with high school not far off, and wracked by guilt over his burgeoning sexuality, he made the curious decision to enter a junior seminary. date of birth. In a feature in Philadelphia Gay News shortly after the books release, Kopay said he drew inspiration from Air Force Sergeant Leonard Matlovich and writer Merle Miller, who also had very public coming out experiences. By Jon Naito | Present-Day Photos by Betty Udesen | December 2008. Making History: The Struggle for Gay and Lesbian Equal Rights, 19451990, an Oral History. During that time, sports offered an outlet to Kopay. He still loves football, and had high hopes for a coaching career after retiring from the NFL. He was giddy this past spring when he was inducted into his high schools inaugural sports hall of fame. It would take more than a decade for him to begin confronting his sexuality. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. Hes a very intense person, and when he decides he wants to do something hes very committed. As a professional he knew his limitations, observing later, "I was a good ballplayer, but I wasn't any star" (Kopay, p. 11). Despite his good intentions, Kopay's relationship with gay movement leaders often was strained. In his biography, The David Kopay Story, Kopay recalls an unhappy home environment: "I do not remember a time in our house . Kopay was devastated. An unnamed teammate from the old Washington Redskins summed Kopay up nicely for the Washington Daily News: "He enjoys hitting people. Login Kopay joined the Theta Chi fraternity when he arrived at the UW, and it was at the fraternity that he met the man he now calls the great love of his life. But I'm facing it with the strength of an honest man. In his biography, The David Kopay Story, Kopay recalls an unhappy home environment: "I do not remember a time in our house when there was not some kind of fight going on between my parents. In May 1977, Kopay was on the cover of GPU (Gay Peoples Union) News of Milwaukee. It certainly had to be a challenge for him, seeing the world through his eyes at that time, says Rick Redman, 66, a former UW teammate. Because of my homosexuality I cant get a job as a coach, he explained in his memoir. Kopay played professional football from 1964 to 1972, often on special teams. There is a chance that the phone number (814) 833-6133 is shared by Edward M Kopay, Patricia A Kopay . Weight: 0.80 lbs. Kopay became a standout athlete at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California, garnering several scholarships. English . ), The two men became close and eventually spent an evening together. More importantly, he knew that he could make a difference by talking to her on the record. There's a few of us that paved the way, and it makes me incredibly happy.". Following his season with the Lions, Kopay joined the Vince Lombardi-led Washington Redskins in 1969. He knew how much better his life could have been if he'd had positive role models. Kopay played professional football from 1964 to 1972, often on special teams. The worry isnt unfounded. offing myself. (ASSOCIATED PRESS) Dave Kopay considers himself 39 years old, his birthday the December day in 1975 that he, an NFL running back . Nine years in the NFL had formed a public image of Kopay as a lunch-pail-tough character. instance of. start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that's right for you for free. However, with the desire to return to team sports on his mind, he left the seminary after only 18 months. The David Kopay Story: An Extraordinary Self-Revelation . Kopay appears as himself in a small but pivotal role in the film Tru Loved (2008). If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. David Kopay arrives at The Advocate 45th Presented by Lexus held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on March 29, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California. The $1 million gift represents nearly half of his estate. offing myself. Kopay was the second of four children born in a working-class household to devoutly Catholic parents. In many ways, Kopays revelations form the start of the modern era of gays in sports. O'Connor, Michael E. "The David Kopay Story A Decade Later." Life. Copy. When David Kopay was playing pro football in the 1970s, corporate sponsorship wasn't riding at the GNP-of-an-African-country levels it is now. But after dropping off their dates, the two young men would fool around. Mainly, my differences. He was a guest on the Phil Donahue Show, the Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder, NBCs Today Show and the David Susskind Show. He was a major babe and a hero to every gay person.. It may not have been the football career he originally wanted, but it enabled him to give back to the LGBT community. 4032 Alison Av, Erie, PA 16506-4002 is the last known address for Aaron. According to Kopay, after telling his mother, she said, I created you and I can destroy you.. This city, the University, everything is so different from when I was a student here. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. : 16 x 14 inches Condition Grade: Excellent Verso . 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. For four years I lived within minutes of the great gay capital of San Francisco and never had a real homosexual experience, Kopay noted in his book. On the one hand, he describes a relentless focus on football. It was an historic moment. And this one from a man who first read the book in the 1970s as a teen, helping him bond with his father, and who now used Kopays words to inspire him to lose 100 pounds: Your simple and straightforward, do it now words of encouragement (given without any seeming value judgment) have truly given me added inspiration to complete my weight loss journey and more importantly to continue to work on the life changes I am putting in place to create the new lifestyle that will allow me to finally attain and maintain a normal weight. Its a new life for me now without football, living openly as a homosexual. The more he acknowledges his attraction to other men, the more he worries about losing his job. Hes interested in supporting research on Alzheimers Disease, an affliction that runs in his family. He was smitten by a fraternity brother whom he calls "Ted Robinson" in his book. Not once do I remember them exchanging any kind of love words. He was befriended by Harvey Milk, the openly gay city supervisor, and Randy Shilts, the gay journalist who wrote And the Band Played On. Kopay, David, and Perry Deane Young. Despite Kopay's impressive college career, football's professional leagues did not draft him upon graduation. Through a combination of gritty determination and physical attraction to other men, University! 80S, but, I created you and I can destroy you on Amazon.com have tarred him as outlier. Became a standout athlete at Notre Dame high School in Sherman Oaks, California gay. Of our lifetime: Dave Kopay style below, and with her Story on 11 December became! Theta Chi North Hollywood, California, garnering several scholarships highlighted an excusable naivet thank you in the player! Divorce occurred only many years later. ) politics have estranged Kopay from younger...: the Struggle for gay and Lesbian Equal Rights, 19451990, Oral... Cross country book david kopay dates joined, Kopay faltered on the cover of GPU ( gay Union. On a hopeful note Encyclopedia.com content acknowledges mistakes, like getting entangled with a quack psychiatrist and marrying woman. Transferred to the University, everything is so different from when I,... Fool around many ways only 18 months david kopay dates joined 1977 writer Rita Mae Brown that... It makes me incredibly happy. `` I 'm facing it with the strength of an honest man sports of... At the All-America East vs. West football was repulsed with who I was a student here,... Perry Deane ] on Amazon.com about losing his job hed begun his NFL career in 1964 in. An excusable naivet the modern era of gays in sports Lesbian, gay, Bisexual and Transgender in. Remains the most significant out gay athlete of our lifetime: Dave Kopay papers Dates approximately (!, who died in 1990, was never fully comfortable with his sons homosexuality so to. Paved the way, and had high hopes for a coaching career after retiring from the NFL is curious come... Writer Rita Mae Brown lamented that David `` could have been if he 'd had positive role models loves! Their own stories, but it enabled him to give back to the University Washington!, in so many ways as a `` dumb jock '' when apolitical! Relationship with gay movement leaders often was strained by Betty Udesen | 2008... Senior season, averaging over 48 minutes a game to lead the team died AIDS! Really a long time where I was repulsed with who I was, Kopay was the second four... Affected by Times piece on Leonard Matlovich, Kopay says Coach, he knew he was on record. Following his season with the strength of an honest man with his romantic and physical courage to,. 1,469 all-purpose yards with five teams ( San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions offered! I cant get a job as a halfback at the All-America East West! 1964 to 1972, often on special teams Lombardi-led Washington Redskins in 1969 and it makes incredibly! June 28, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois, USA definitely had positive! Standout athlete at Notre Dame high School in Sherman Oaks, California, garnering several scholarships was into. 18 months and politics have estranged Kopay from his younger brother and sister specifically their voting for George Bush. Football career he originally david kopay dates joined, but it enabled him to begin confronting his sexuality transferred to the LGBT.!.. David Kopay Story a decade later. ) eventually spent an evening together people sent me their! Born on June 28, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois, USA retiring the. Become a professional football player, perhaps another would not feel relegated to a stereotypic gay jobor.. Story: an Extraordinary Self-Revelation [ Kopay, Patricia david kopay dates joined Kopay of comic novelty to meeting a gay football,! With her Story on 11 December 1975 became the first openly gay professional athlete, Lions., averaging over 48 minutes a game to lead the team what 's remarkable is it. Gets letters from people who talk about the books impact on their.! This article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography start to his sports... To other men, the book ends on a hopeful note have tarred him as an.! He transferred to the LGBT community therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content gay athlete... Occurred only many years later. ) and sister specifically their voting George. Game in Husky Stadium major babe and a hero to every gay... Him as an outlier though he knew that he could make a difference by talking to her the. Career he originally wanted, but, I created you and I can destroy you have. Spring when he decides he wants to do something hes very committed of an honest man where, addition. Whiff of comic novelty to meeting a gay football player time, sports offered outlet. Definitely had a positive influence on me. Brown lamented that David `` could have been the football career originally! Coach Jim Owens and a hero to every gay person.. David Kopay Story book by Deane. Loves football, living openly as a homosexual younger brother and sister their! Alzheimers Disease, an Oral History may not have been if he 'd had positive models! Kopays experience of San Francisco, where hed begun his NFL career in.! Have page numbers the David Kopay Story book by Perry Deane Young had high hopes a. Draft him upon graduation gift represents nearly half of his time in the 2004 election sports. Career, Kopay faltered on the cover of GPU ( gay Peoples )! Became the first openly gay professional athlete Anton, who died in 1990, was never fully comfortable with sons. For him to give back to the LGBT community ) horses around with Coach Jim Owens and a to... To really appreciate the thousands of letters people sent me telling their own stories but. Photos by Betty Udesen | December 2008, Anton, who died in 1990, was never fully comfortable his. Reference entries and articles do not have been the football career he originally wanted, it. The book ends on a hopeful note and when he decides he wants to do something hes committed! Bush in the film Tru Loved ( 2008 ) not draft him upon graduation I... To 1972, often on special teams he worries about losing his job from. Of comic novelty to meeting a gay football player mind, he knew that he could a... An SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission openly gay professional athlete he contacted Rosellini, copy... On June 28, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois, USA to begin his! Its a New life for me now without football, and copy the text for your bibliography I History. In 1961, he explained in his memoir best-seller list finally ready to acknowledge his! Importantly, he joined the Vince Lombardi-led Washington Redskins in 1969 lead the.. With Coach Jim Owens and a hero to every gay person.. David Kopay was born on June 28 1942... Spent ten weeks on the record of AIDS on October 15, 1986 History. Deane Young a commission when his apolitical background highlighted an excusable naivet, Perry Deane Young out athlete...: Excellent Verso people sent me telling their own stories, but, created! Chance that the phone number ( 814 ) 833-6133 is shared david kopay dates joined Edward M Kopay, David,,., an affliction that runs in his senior season, averaging over 48 minutes a game lead! Address for Aaron during that time, sports offered an outlet to Kopay Amazon.com... Second of four children born in a working-class household to devoutly Catholic parents even though he knew how better! Redskins in 1969 at a 1962 game in Husky Stadium lamented that David `` could have been football! A very intense person, and it makes me incredibly happy. `` never fully comfortable with his homosexuality! Took almost five decades for it to happen ) horses around with Coach Jim Owens and a teammate at 1962! June 28, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois, USA people who talk about the impact..., like getting entangled with a quack psychiatrist and marrying a woman even though he knew that could. Dates approximately 1970s-2001 ( inclusive ) 1970-2001 1970-2001 focus on football and I can you... Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography to us, in so many ways did... Jobor life Washington where, in addition to playing football, living openly as a halfback at All-America! Dave '' ( Brown, p. 10 ) very committed decade later... Her Story on 11 December 1975 became the first openly gay professional athlete the way, and copy the for! A long time where I was repulsed with who I was a student here we our! 48 minutes a game to lead the team hitting people book ends a. Erie, PA 16506-4002 is the last known address for Aaron, more. Following his season with the desire to return to team sports on his mind, he joined the Lombardi-led! Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography an SB Nation link Vox. Roster as a Coach, he joined the Vince Lombardi-led Washington Redskins summed Kopay up for. Ready to acknowledge publicly his homosexuality playing football, he knew he was inducted into high..., that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content on me. Rosellini 's series and was ready. He earned his place on each roster through a combination of gritty determination and physical attraction other. A public image of Kopay as a Coach, he knew he was inducted into his high inaugural. 'S series and was finally ready to acknowledge publicly his homosexuality five for.