The gay American former football player Jake Eldridge (19) explained in an emotional video on YouTube how hiding his homosexuality ultimately forced him to retire from professional sports.
End of a football high flyer
Today he is happier than ever before in his life, but last year he had to hide his true self so much that he even ended up in the hospital. Eldridge last played in nine games as a long snapper for the number 49 Scarlet Knights in 2023. The Rutgers University football player was considered one of the country’s brightest young talents, the US football network 247Sports said last year that he is one of the best long snappers in the United States. The press cheered: For Eldridge, the sky was the limit.
He now looks at that time differently: “I tried for so long to fit into that mold and hide who I was, and that really destroyed me. The stress became more and more intense and consisted of me faking my life every day to please the people around me instead of pleasing myself.”
Escape to men’s sports
The homophobia in his hometown, the Texas suburb of Colleyville in Fort Worth, was what first made him play football as a child and teenager over ten years ago – it was his parents’ wish, never his. He saw this as the only way to hide his homosexuality. At this point, he was also attending a private Christian school that banned students if they came out as gay.
It was clear to him early on that he was homosexual: “It was a part of me that I knew but that I denied for years. And I think football helped me hide that. But football was also the reason why I had to continue to hide it.” He repeatedly experienced general homophobia and gay jokes within his team.
Desperate messages to parents
While the media gradually made him the new superstar, his mental health continued to decline and his time away from the football field became more and more of a nightmare. He increasingly spent hours sitting on the toilet at night before training and wrote his parents desperate text messages like: “I hate everything. I can’t be myself. You don’t understand.” His parents didn’t respond. At the end of the season, Eldridge was ultimately hospitalized in November 2023 due to inflammatory bowel disease. He decided to quit football.
Outing and new beginnings
This year, on International Coming Out Day, October 11th, Eldridge officially came out as gay. Now the 19-year-old has followed up and revealed details about his life. “From now on, I’m living my life authentically and without having to justify myself – my former self couldn’t do that. Please always remember, whatever others think, you live your life for yourself! People babble because of their own insecurities or twisted beliefs, but that’s no reason to oppress yourself. Be yourself, shine brightly, spread love and inspire change. I love you.”
The young American expressed words of gratitude to Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano, who only supported him throughout after he came out to him: “He was the most understanding and accepting person ever. He made me feel safe and respected and valued.”
Help other gay athletes
Today he feels happier than ever, he continues to study journalism and media at university and, with a bit of luck, will graduate in 2027. He is also very popular as a social media influencer with over 100,000 TikTok followers and almost six million likes. Looking forward, Eldridge hopes to see more active college football players come out publicly and offers his full support to any gay players considering doing so.
“If you have the courage to come out, and if you want to, then do it. Please do it. Because I was too afraid of it. I’m rooting for the guys who come out while playing college football. And if you’re out there and want to talk to me, send me an email. I will fly to you and be there to support you when you do.”
