Yesterday, a handsome 25-year-old US professional athlete and Olympic soccer player came out of the closet and his name is Robbie Rogers. Needless to say, I had to make him the Sports Stud for this week. He has decided to leave soccer (not sure if that is indefinitely or not) and focus on the next chapter of his life.

In his blog posting he wrote that throughout his life he has “been afraid, afraid to show whom I really was because of fear… Fear that judgment and rejection would hold me back from my dreams and aspirations. Fear that my loved ones would be farthest from me if they knew my secret. Fear that my secret would get in the way of my dreams.” By coming out of the closet, he has created the space to make whatever dreams he wants to come true a reality. “Secrets can cause so much internal damage. People love to preach about honesty, how honesty is so plain and simple. Try explaining to your loved ones after 25 years you are gay. I always thought I could hide this secret. Football was my escape, my purpose, my identity. Football hid my secret, gave me more joy than I could have ever imagined.”

Rogers played in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and is also the co-owner of a men’s fashion brand called Halsey. Check out his sexy photos below as well as his entire “coming out” blog entry.

Yum, Robbie definitely looks hot without his shirt on!

And incredibly handsome in a suit as well…not to mention those eyes!

He’s such a stud and I love the scruff!

It’s so fitting that he’s into fashion because he could definitely have a career as a model as well.

I’m thinking this might be some of the pieces from his brand, but I’m not sure. Either way… woof! ;)

Looking forward to seeing what this talented cutie does next! Congratulations, Buddy!

Robbie Rogers’ Statement From His Blog

The Next Chapter…

“Things are never what they seem… My whole life I have felt different, different from my peers, even different from my family. In today’s society being different makes you brave. To overcome your fears you must be strong and have faith in your purpose.

For the past 25 year I have been afraid, afraid to show whom I really was because of fear. Fear that judgment and rejection would hold me back from my dreams and aspirations. Fear that my loved ones would be farthest from me if they knew my secret. Fear that my secret would get in the way of my dreams.

Dreams of going to a World Cup, dreams of The Olympics, dreams of making my family proud. What would life be without these dreams? Could I live a life without them?

Life is only complete when your loved ones know you. When they know your true feelings, when they know who and how you love. Life is simple when your secret is gone. Gone is the pain that lurks in the stomach at work, the pain from avoiding questions, and at last the pain from hiding such a deep secret.

Secrets can cause so much internal damage. People love to preach about honesty, how honesty is so plain and simple. Try explaining to your loved ones after 25 years you are gay. Try convincing yourself that your creator has the most wonderful purpose for you even though you were taught differently.

I always thought I could hide this secret. Football was my escape, my purpose, my identity. Football hid my secret, gave me more joy than I could have ever imagined… I will always be thankful for my career. I will remember Beijing, The MLS Cup, and most of all my teammates. I will never forget the friends I have made a long the way and the friends that supported me once they knew my secret.

Now is my time to step away. It’s time to discover myself away from football. It’s 1 A.M. in London as I write this and I could not be happier with my decision. Life is so full of amazing things. I realized I could only truly enjoy my life once I was honest. Honesty is a bitch but makes life so simple and clear. My secret is gone, I am a free man, I can move on and live my life as my creator intended.”

Check out Robbie Rogers blog here.