Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin appears on the cover of the new issue of Out magazine, which includes an article in which the former Dallas Cowboy talks about his late brother, who was gay.
Irvin, who says he learned his brother was gay in the 1970s when he found him wearing women's clothes, speculates that the discovery contributed to his womanizing behavior, according to ESPN and other news outlets that have seen the article.
"Through it all we realized maybe some of the issues I've had with so many women, just bringing women around so everybody can see, maybe that's the residual of the fear I had that if my brother is wearing ladies' clothes, am I going to be doing that? Is it genetic?" Irvin says in the article.
Irvin says his father, Walter, helped him accept his brother's sexual orientation and calls on the African-American community to support gay marriage.
"I don't see how any African-American, with any inkling of history, can say that you don't have the right to live your life how you want to live your life," he said.
He also said if any player in the NFL or other sport comes out, "I will absolutely support him ... I'll give him 100 percent support."
Irvin, 45, played 12 seasons for the Cowboys, from 1988 to 1999, and was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2007. He is currently an analyst for the NFL Network.
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