Thursday 24 August 2017 15:58, UK
San Francisco 49ers assistant coach Katie Sowers has become the first openly gay coach in the NFL.
Sowers first came out to her family in college and has now decided to publically announce her sexuality in order to create a more "comfortable" environment for other LGBT people in the NFL.
"No matter what you do in life, one of the most important things is to be true to who you are," Sowers told Outsports.
"There are so many people who identify as LGBT in the NFL, as in any business, that do not feel comfortable being public about their sexual orientation.
"The more we can create an environment that welcomes all types of people, no matter their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, the more we can help ease the pain and burden that many carry every day."
Sowers is the second woman to be an assistant coach in the NFL - following in the footsteps of Kathryn Smith, who was on the Buffalo Bills staff in 2016.
Follow the 2017-18 NFL season with us on Sky Sports and through our website skysports.com/NFL also our app for mobile devices and iPad, or follow our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL
The regular season of home and away matches run from September to December 2017, culminating in PlayOffs from January 6, 2018 and the Super Bowl on February 4, 2018 at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota to determine the world champion.
