D1 college football player Ryan Deluca came out as gay on Instagram

Fifth year senior Ryan Deluca, a Furman University communication studies major and Paladins wide receiver, came out publicly on Instagram. The reaction on social media and elsewhere caught Deluca by surprise. “Almost every single one of my teammates, and almost everyone I’ve come in contact with at college, gave me love. And I didn’t expect it,” he said in an Outsports article. Furman Head Coach Clay Hendrix also voiced his support. “Ryan’s been a great student, player, teammate and friend to everybody in our program and on campus. We love him and support him — always have and always will.”

The story was picked up by Edge Media, and it ran in several cities across the country, including San Diego, Cleveland, Portland, Orlando and Las Vegas.