O'Callaghan believes NFL teams would accept openly gay player

Former NFL lineman Ryan O'Callaghan revealed he was gay in a powerful in-depth piece on Outsports.com on Tuesday in which he described the emotional toll it took to keep his sexuality a secret during his playing days.

But no other player will likely be forced to take that route, according to O'Callaghan, who said Wednesday he believes NFL teams and their players would now accept an openly gay player during an appearance on "The Dan Patrick Show."

"I'm pretty positive now that teams would accept a gay player. There's enough guys in every locker room who truly understand and know that it's not a choice. In society as a whole, it's OK. I think there's enough guys that would rally around, I think some would even go out of their way just to make someone feel accepted," O'Callaghan said, according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.

Michael Sam was the first openly gay player to step onto an NFL field after he was drafted by the then-St. Louis Rams in the 2014 NFL Draft.

However, Sam's career was a short one. After being cut by the Rams prior to the 2014 season, the pass-rusher caught on with the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad. Sam was then waived in October 2014 and hasn't been on another NFL team since.

While Sam arguably wasn't the trailblazer some expected him to be, based on O'Callaghan's comments, it appears to be a matter of when, not if, that a gay active NFL player will break down the barrier for good.