UMass' Gordon Becomes First Openly Gay D1 Athlete

Last night, Derrick Gordon, student athlete from the University of Massachusetts, became the first openly gay athlete to play in a collegiate game. He scored 17 points in his first game against Siena, as he got to start the game. The Plainfield, New Jersey native talked about how his relationship with his teammates improved, despite openly admitting that he was gay.

"I'm just so happy and excited to finally put this out there," Gordon said at the time. "I've lived my life hiding behind somebody who I wasn't. I wasn't really that close to anybody on this team because there was something I had to hide."

The tolerance level compared to what it was before is significantly different. Based on what took place with Michael Sam a few months ago, when he was not picked until the 8th round of the NFL Draft. Many based his placement in the draft as an anti-gay protest by the NFL teams, but it turns out that it was based on his skill set on the field and nothing to do with anything off the field. Sam has yet to play a snap in the NFL, as he has bounced around numerous practice squads before being cut by the Dallas Cowboys several weeks ago.

Gordon contributed to the team significantly in the season opener. He nearly had a double-double in his first game, as he finished the game with 17 points and pulled down 9 rebounds. He also made 11/12 free throws in the game, that helped end the game against Siena. The tolerance is so much better for gay athletes, and the NCAA is setting an example to other leagues that being gay is okay. They don't ridicule athletes like other leagues, but embrace them. What Massachusetts did last night sent a message to other colleges that no matter what you believe in, you are still given a chance to do big things.