Former NFL defensive end R.K. Russell will give a keynote speech and answer questions in a moderated Q&A at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30, in Jamrich 1100 at Northern Michigan University. He will also sign his memoir The Yards Between Us: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Football, which will be sold at the event and has been optioned for a TV series.
Russell played defensive end for both the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and played for Purdue University during his college years. In 2019, Russell made history by being the first out bisexual active in the NFL, and introduced his boyfriend Corey O'Brien at the same time.
Russell no longer plays football professionally, so he spends his time writing and taking part in LGBTQ+ activism. In 2021, he penned an article for The Guardian speaking out against anti-trans laws being proposed across multiple states.
He wrote another article for The Guardian in 2022 about NFL players finding themselves unemployed after their time as a professional athlete. His memoir,The Yards Between Us, has been optioned for a television series by Sony Pictures TV.
Read more about R.K. Russell's memoir by clicking here.
To get tickets for the NMU Platform Personalities event, “An Evening With R.K. Russell,” which are $2 for the general public and free for NMU students with ID, visit nmu.universitytickets.com.