ASU Football: OL Chip Sarafin comes out as gay

Edward Sarafin, an offensive lineman at Arizona State, told Compete magazine that he was gay, as reported in the August edition of the magazine. He is the first openly gay Division I football player.

Sarafin, who goes by the nickname Chip, told his story to Compete, a magazine for gay sports based in Phoenix. He has never appeared in a game for the Sun Devils.

Sarafin told his Arizona State last teammates last spring, according to the article.

"It was really personal for me and it benefited my peace of mind greatly," Sarafin told Compete.

Sarafin also received an outpouring of support from leaders inside Arizona State Athletics, including Athletic Director Ray Anderson and football head coach Todd Graham.

"The entire athletics department is extremely proud of Chip and is unequivocally supportive of him," Anderson said in a statement.

"We are a brotherhood that is not defined by cultural and personal differences, but rather an individual's commitment to the Sun Devil Way," Graham said. "Diversity and acceptance are two of the pillars of our program, and he has full support from his teammates and the coaching staff."

Sarafin, the 6-foot-6, 320-pound offensive lineman from Gilbert, Arizona, is a fifth-year senior and biomedical engineering student, using his experience in football to research concussions resulting from football. He is also a Tillman Scholar and an ambassador for anti-bullying and anti-discrimination in youth sports.

He graduated with a BSE in biomedical engineering in Spring 2014. He is currently involved in master's work at the University.

The Michael Sam story was the one that gained the most attention among gay NCAA players, but he came out after his time at Missouri was finished. Sarafin is the first to come out while still playing at his school.

Information from an Outsports.com (which also cites the original Compete article) report also contributed to this post.