Report: Chapman DE Mitchell Eby comes out as gay

The tide toward acceptance of gay athletes continues to turn, and the NCAA continues to be at the forefront of change.

Outsports.com shares the story of Chapman University (Div. III) defensive end Mitchell Eby, who recently came out as gay to his teammates and received thunderous applause for his bravery. After the cheers petered off, Eby had just one more thing to say to his teammates: 

"So how about some pizza?"

Outsports.com notes that Eby appears to be "the first active college football player to publicly come out as gay." (Missouri's Michael Sam came out as gay in February, after playing his final college game, and Willamette University kicker Conner Mertens came out as bisexual in January).

There will come a day when stories of athletes coming out to their teammates are no longer news and are simply a normal part of life. Thankfully, it appears that day is rapidly approaching. With players like Eby, Mertens and Sam stepping up to be the first players to make such a proclamation, it will become easier for those who follow in their footsteps.