There has never been an openly gay player in the National Football League, America's largest professional football league. That may change this May if Michael Sam is drafted by the league, as expected.

Before coming out publicly as a gay man earlier this month, Michael Sam had dinner in Los Angeles with David Kopay. The former running back came out as a gay man in 1975 - three years after his last season in the league.

Kopay says secretly being a gay man in the NFL was traumatic, like "living in the dark ages". He told the BBC that he believes it will be different for Sam and other gay players today.

Produced by Travis Peterson and Regan Morris

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