NFL Exec: I've Played With 6 Openly Gay Players

Troy Vincent, a former National Football League defensive back who is now the organization's executive vice president of football operations, told reporters Wednesday that he's played with a handful of openly gay players during his career, CBS Sports reports.

During a press conference, Vincent talked about Michael Sam's coming out and that he played with out teammates and that their sexuality was not a problem.

"I'm not going to share their names, but in my 15 years, there were six individuals who were at least openly gay in the locker room," he said. "No problem. From my days in Miami until I ended in Washington, they were just my teammates. Just like my family members. ... We ate together, we flew together, they're roommates in hotel rooms. It was what it was."

Vincent, 43, played for the Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills and Washington Red Skins. He's been in his NFL executive role since February 2010.

The former-NFL player's statements come not long after an ESPN poll revealed that 86 percent of NFL players would accept an openly gay player. Though most athletes were fine with a gay teammate, most were worried about that trouble "that players would have with learning how to relate to an openly gay teammate."

"Forty-four players said a teammate's sexual orientation didn't matter to them, and 39 said they would be comfortable showering around a gay teammate. But 32 players said they had teammates or coaches who used homophobic slurs last season, and when asked whether an openly gay player would be comfortable in a NFL locker room, just 25 players said yes; 21 said no, while five declined to answer," ESPN says.

Earlier this week ESNP released another poll that found 81 of baseball players in Major League Baseball would also welcome an openly gay teammate.