“Simply put, I am who I am.”
Perkins is believed to be the first football player from an HBCU (historically Black colleges and universities) to publicly share that he is gay. In doing so while actively playing, he follows in the footsteps of college football trail blazers such as Arizona State’s Edward “Chip” Sarafin in 2014, as well as Arizona’s My-King Johnson and Kansas State’s Scott Frantz in 2017.
One NFL player, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Carl Nassib, has come out as gay while still active in the league. Former defensive end Michael Sam came out before the 2014 NFL draft and was subsequently selected by the St. Louis Rams, but he was released after training camp and was never on the field for an NFL regular season snap.
A 6-foot-3, 190-pound native of Chicago, Perkins initially committed to Purdue and spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons with the Boilermakers before transferring to Hampton. The Virginia-based HBCU competes in the Colonial Athletic Association at the Football Championship Subdivision level. The 4-2 Pirates are set to play a homecoming game Saturday against the University of Richmond.
Through six games this season, Perkins is credited with 16 solo and assisted tackles, plus an interception and two pass breakups.
“I’ve been self-reflective and trying to prioritize what makes me happy and makes me feel alive,” Perkins wrote in a story post that, per Instagram’s format, expired after 24 hours. “I thought it could be just football and school, but there was a component missing. And recently I’ve been able to figure out that I haven’t been fully happy because everyone didn’t know who I was. Authenticity is everything to me.”
“I have come to understand that life is precious and I could be gone at any moment, therefore, I will no longer be living a lie,” he added. “No one should have to live a life crippled by what society thinks.”
In an interview with Outsports, Perkins said he wants to be a helpful example for others.
“Especially at an HBCU, young Black gay men need an outlet,” he said. “They need a support system. There hasn’t been an out gay football athlete at an HBCU. I want to end the stigma of what people think. I want people to know they can be themselves.
“It’s about that kid who’s going to see this and think he can be himself too.”
