The Yards Between Us: A Memoir of Life, Love and Football

A groundbreaking memoir from professional NFL player, writer, and advocate R.K. Russell, who made history by becoming the first out active NFL player to identify as bisexual.

In 2019, R.K. Russell broke the mold when he came out as bisexual in an essay for ESPN that ignited the sports world. Now, in his powerful memoir, THE YARDS BETWEEN US, he shares his story and explores his love of football, men and women, walking the devastating tightrope of keeping his sexuality secret, the tension between his private and public lives, and the importance of crashing through barriers. One part inspirational journey and one part coming of age as an athlete struggling to break a mold, THE YARDS BETWEEN US follows in the footsteps of moving, impactful sports memoirs like Agassi’s OPEN, Misty Copeland’s LIFE IN MOTION, and Megan Rapinoe’s ONE LIFE.

Told through the people and moments that have shaped him, Russell traces the highs and lows of his life in and out of football, from his early life as a shy kid struggling with the expectations on a Black boy and the pull between his quiet nature and his athletic ability, to being drafted by his hometown team the Dallas Cowboys, and then on to seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Buffalo Bills. And as his time in the sport comes into full bloom, Russell realizes that keeping his secret in the NFL is easier than in college when life and football are so much more connected to social worlds.

Through being cut, injured, and frustrating setbacks, Russell’s confidence lags as the secret of his sexuality weighs heavier and heavier. And when that frustration is combined with the devastating loss of his best friend and sole confidant, the darkness that follows also brings a deep understanding that perhaps it’s time to make a change. In Los Angeles, against the backdrop of the swaying palm trees and warm sands of Malibu, Russell falls in love and it’s the final push he needs to stand up for every part of himself--a professional athlete, a writer, a son, a friend, a lover, a bisexual Black man. In THE YARDS BETWEEN US, R.K. Russell shows us the life-changing power of embracing who you are and fighting to make space so others can do the same.

Ryan K. Russell was a professional football player in the NFL, and is a social justice advocate, published poet, essayist, and artist. In August of 2019, Russell made history by becoming the first out active NFL player to identify as bisexual. A decorated defensive end who has played for the Dallas Cowboys and this year’s Super Bowl champs, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he has sacked Hall of Famers and gone up against the fiercest competitors at the height of their game.

Ryan’s inspirational ESPN coming out story has been nominated for a 2020 GLAAD Media Award for ’Outstanding Television Journalism.’

Since coming out, Russell has been advocating for the LGBTQ+ community in professional sports, spearheading multiple NFL Pride initiatives such as the NFL Pride panel and the NFL’s National Coming Out Day PSA. He has been honored by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) at their annual gala and by GAY TIMES (UK) as Sportsperson of the Year, and he was selected to the prestigious OUT 100 List in 2019. He has been featured on the cover of multiple publications including The Advocate, Gay Times (UK), and The Washington and Los Angeles Blade among others.

He has written about his experience as a Black queer man in sports for Out Magazine, Outsports, and Queer Majority. He has interviewed with or been featured in countless media outlets including The New York Times, ESPN, Fox Sports, CNN and many others--about the importance of representation of queer athletes in sport. He has also been a featured speaker at several campus such as Colorado Mesa, Albany University, and his alma mater, Purdue. In recent months, Russell has been getting a lot of attention for his story and advocacy in the UK and throughout Europe while speaking globally on LGBGTQ equality and inclusion in elite sports and at all levels of sport. He continues to speak up for marginalized voices through his words, writing, and most importantly, his actions.