Edward "Chip" Sarafin is about to become the first active openly gay player in NCAA Division I football, following his public announcement.

According to Out Sports, it was hardly an announcement and more like an extraneous detail in a magazine profile. Since Michael Sam made his public announcement after the end of the Missouri Tigers' season last year, he was never active while openly gay, though he said he come out to his team much earlier.

Sarafin spoke to Compete, a sports magazine for the gay community, though the author's focus of the article was his non-football, post-college plans. A senior at Arizona State University (ASU) and backup offensive lineman for the Sun Devils, Sarafin wants to be a neurologist and his goal is to help design a helmet to better protect football players from concussions.

Oh, and he is gay, but that revelation was apparently brought up toward the end.

Sarafin has never played a down, but two ASU administrators in the athletic department released statements offering their full support to the football player.

"We are a brotherhood that is not defined by cultural and personal differences, but rather an individual's commitment to the Sun Devil Way," Sun Devils head football coach Todd Graham said in the release. "Chip is a fifth-year senior and a Scholar Baller, a graduate and a master's student. His commitment to service is unmatched and it is clear he is on his way to leading a successful life after his playing career, a goal that I have for every student-athlete. Diversity and acceptance are two of the pillars of our program, and he has full support from his teammates and the coaching staff."

Sam was the 249th overall pick in the NFL Draft, meaning he has the chance to be the first openly gay player to play in an official NFL regular season game. Sam already made history when he became the first openly gay football player to sign a professional contract.

Sarafin probably will not become the second player to do that, but he may inspire the next person to come out.

"The entire athletics department is extremely proud of Chip and is unequivocally supportive of him," Ray Anderson, ASU's vice president of athletics, said in the release. "His undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering, his pursuit of a master's in the same field, his research involving football-related concussions, and his heavy involvement in the community with both youth sports in Arizona and the Tillman Scholars embodies all the characteristics that sets our student-athletes apart and allows our university to maintain an environment of inclusiveness and progression."