
Former San Diego State strong safety Shaun Rogers said coming out in college wasn't really an option. "I kind of just suppressed it," he said. "After college, I just became more open with it ... I just didn't have to be around that culture."

The New York Warriors stretch before their opening game at Gay Bowl XVIII, on September 14, 2018 in Denver, Colorado.

Former Columbia University quarterback Chris Allison (left) and American International College wide receiver Stephan Benjamin are two of the seven teammates with college football experience on the New York Warriors flag football team.

After a stellar college career, Dorien Bryant now plays flag football and won a Gay Bowl championship with the New York Warriors in 2017. "It is a recreational league, but we can play," he said.

The New York Warriors, featuring former Purdue Boilermaker Dorien Bryant (far right), line up on the left side of the line of scrimmage in their opening game at Gay Bowl XVIII.

Referees congregated during the opening morning of Gay Bowl XVIII in Denver, Colorado.