Arizona State University backup senior offensive lineman Edward "Chip" Sarafin has come out as gay, becoming, according to OutSports, the "first publicly gay major division college football player." I'm not sure what that means, but good for you, Chip!

Also offering words of encouragement is Chip's coach, Todd Graham, who in a statement said, "Diversity and acceptance are two of the pillars of our program, and he has full support from his teammates and the coaching staff." Athletic director Ray Anderson echoed Graham's sentiments, adding that "the entire athletics department is extremely proud"and "unequivocally supportive" of the 6'6, 320-lb fifth year senior, who is currently pursuing his master's in biomedical engineering.

Serafin came out in the LGBT sports mag, Compete, in which he discussed bullying in high school and his coming out process to his teammates. Via Towleroad:

"I went to school at Highland High, and it is definitely not the most diverse school. It’s probably 80 percent Mormon and 80 percent Caucasian. So there is definitely a disparity there in the types of people that you meet. I know a lot of times a lot of people who were bullied because they were different were actually bullied by athletes, and that made me really angry ... the athletes are supposed to be the role models, the heroes of the community ...,” Sarafin waxes.

Of his own coming out, Sarafin began telling his team-mates last spring. “It was really personal to me, and it benefited my peace of mind greatly.”

Sarafin says that he told his teammates mostly for himself and because he wanted them to hear it straight from him instead of the college rumor mill that all players find themselves subjected to at some point.

Michael Sam, the NFL's first openly gay player who famously came out after completing his career at the University of Missouri, tweeted his encouragement of Sarafin:

— Michael Sam (@MichaelSamNFL) August 13, 2014

Even though Chip has never appeared in a game, there's something to be said for the increasingly welcoming atmosphere in college and professional sports. That, and he's literally a giant so he's a great addition to the team. The gay team — the winning team.