Bisexual ex-NFL star Ryan Russell explains what it really means to 'go both ways'

Yahoo

29-07-2025

In 2019, Ryan 'RK' Russell, an NFL veteran who played for the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, made history when he became the first NFL player to come out as bisexual in an article he wrote for ESPN.
Since then, he's been a proponent of bisexual equality and is outspoken about his bisexual nature. In a world where bi erasure is a real thing, it's imperative to have people like him as a spokesperson for the community.
In a recent TikTok video, Russell addressed the way people viewed bisexuality and broke down how queer culture mirrors sports.'Today, we're going to be talking about how sports culture is queer culture,' he said at the top of the video.
He went on to discuss the way people talk about bisexuality, citing how he often hears the term 'goes both ways.' He said the phrase was first introduced to him in the context of sports and athletics, then compared the question to someone like LeBron James, who, 'at the height of his career, was both a devastating defender and an offensive force to be reckoned with.'
He then compared that to 'playing both ends of the floor' or 'going both ways.'
Later, he mentioned Travis Hunter, a rookie for the Jacksonville Jaguars who's already earned top 10 status in this year's draft. Russell highlighted Hunter's versatility in the sport, saying his value as a player was upped due to his ability to play both defense and offense.
'Unfortunately, when we talk about bisexual people, we don't see it with that same lens,' he continued. 'As if one day I could be waking up and 'playing offense,' then midplay switch to play defense and ruin my own team.'
Outside of sports, he said, 'Or, I could be in a relationship with a man and decide, 'Hey, actually today, I want to be in a relationship with a woman,' which, for some people, that's not an issue.'
In both sports and queer culture, he said he wanted the idea of 'going both ways' to be 'seen as a value, as added paint to the diverse canvas that is our society.'
He closed the video saying, 'So the next time that you think about a bisexual person 'going both ways,' think about them as the all-star of their team.'
Check out the full video below:
www.tiktok.com
Sports culture is queer culture. If going both ways is elite on the field, it should be celebrated off it too. Bisexuality is strength, versatility, and heart. 🏳️‍🌈🏈
We couldn't have said it better ourselves.
This article originally appeared on Pride: Bisexual ex-NFL star Ryan Russell explains what it really means to 'go both ways'