Miss. College Football Player: 'I Look Down on Gay Football Players'

Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 2 MIN.

A football player for Mississippi State University made himself the subject of headlines this week after tweeting some incensed comments about National Football League draft prospect Michael Sam, who came out Sunday.

Though Sam has been lauded by his peers and even the White House, specifically Michelle Obama, a number have been critical of what it will mean to have an openly gay player in the NFL, citing how it will impact culture in the locker room. The latest to voice his disparaging opinion on Sam is Mississippi State University's Rufus Warren, who went on a Twitter tirade this week, insulting the out athlete and the LGBT community, sports news site FanSided reports.

"Takes a lot to come out and say you like men.. Just don't agree," Warren, who uses the Twitter handle @2_amazing, tweeted. "This sport is too violent for yu to go home to another man at night..#ICantDoIt."

The athlete added: "I don't have a problem with gay people.. Be happy! But I look down on gay football players.. This is a MAN sport! And being gay is not a man."

FanSided notes that the tweets have been deleted and Warren switched his account to private. He did apologize, however, and his apology was retweeted by Michael Bonner, a reporter for the Mississippi newspaper, the Clarion-Ledger.

"My school does not need to reflect my thoughts.. I deeply apologize to my school and followers for what I have said," Warren, a tight end for Mississippi State, reportedly said.

This isn't the first time a college athlete has come under fire for tweeting about Sam.

It was reported Tuesday that Ohio's Kent State University suspended wrestler Sam Wheeler indefinitely for the comments he made on the social media site.

"I can't even watch Sports Center today cause all they are talking about is Marcus Smart or that fag from Mizzou..." Wheeler tweeted. He then tweeted to two other Twitter users with anti-gay slurs before writing, "O geez I got all these fag boys mad at me now."

"We are aware of the insensitive tweets by one of our student athletes," Joel Nielsen, Kent State director of athletics, said in a statement. "On behalf of Kent State University, we consider these comments to be ignorant and not indicative of the beliefs held by our university community as a whole. This is an educational opportunity for all of our student-athletes."

Wheeler deleted the tweets and his account has been deactivated.

Sam, a defensive lineman for Missouri All-American, rocked the sports world Sunday when he told media he is gay. He is poised to be the first openly gay pro-football player if he is drafted to the NFL this Spring.


by Jason St. Amand , National News Editor

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