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University of Massachusetts

No more hiding: UMass' Derrick Gordon embraces his new life out

Gordon, the first openly gay NCAA Division I men's basketball player, feels a newfound freedom, and his teammates and family can see the positive change.

Scott Gleeson
USA TODAY Sports
Derrick Gordon, a starting guard at UMass, is the first openly gay NCAA Division I men's basketball player.

Growing up in Plainfield, N.J., twin brothers Derrick and Darryl Gordon were inseparable.

"Everywhere I went, he was there," Darryl Gordon says. "Baseball, basketball, football, bowling, the skating rink on Friday nights. We had the same friends. There was nothing that was gonna break our bond."

For much of the past five years, Derrick wrote letters to his brother in jail to sustain that bond. Darryl was charged with attempted murder and pleaded to an aggravated assault conviction in May 2009 following a neighborhood fight that ended with Darryl shooting a rival six times but not killing him.

A year earlier Derrick's basketball prowess had led him to nearby Elizabeth, N.J., where he played for St. Patrick's High School, the nation's No. 1 team his senior year. Darryl played junior varsity at Plainfield but eventually, he said, "took to the streets."

Derrick earned a scholarship at Western Kentucky.

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Darryl, meanwhile, was sentenced to five years, one month and six days to be served in the Albert C. Wagner Youth Correctional Facility in Bordentown, N.J. He was released on parole Sept. 30.

His brother's freedom came nearly six months earlier.

Derrick, a starting guard at UMass, became the first openly gay NCAA Division I men's basketball player on April 9, coming out publicly after earlier telling his family and teammates.

Derrick and Darryl Gordon as children. Derrick grew up to be 6-foot-3, while Darryl only sprouted to 5-foot-5.

"When I first found out he was gay, I'm not gonna lie. I was mad and shocked," Darryl says. "I didn't see any signs of it because I was away, locked up. Each day that goes by, it gets easier. I understand that's his business and right now he seems happier than he's ever been. That's what it's about. Derrick is the same person. Regardless of his sexuality, I'm always going to love and protect him. That's my other half."

Michael, their older brother, says, "Derrick was in a real dark place. Him being gay and his brother being locked away, it was rough. Now, they talk to each other every day on the phone. They got that bond back."

On Friday the Minutemen open their 2014-15 season against Siena. That day also will be the first time Derrick will see his twin brother since Darryl was released from jail.

"There will be some tears in everyone's eyes," their mother Sandra Gordon says.

***

Since he has come out to the world, Derrick Gordon has fully embraced his new life, one that requires no hiding. The 22-year-old has become a spokesman of sorts for the LGBT community and attended several events, including the GLAAD Awards in New York.

"Man, it's just crazy. I feel so free now," Gordon says. "I was at rock bottom. I was going to throw in the towel and straight up quit basketball, the game I love to death. And now I'm feeling like a hawk flying around. Now I'm just open — my personality and my game went to another level. I'm done hiding. I don't have anything hanging over my head. I'm playing the game how Derrick Gordon should play."

UMass coach Derek Kellogg says he notices an "extreme makeover" with Gordon's game. He also sees a much different person than the one who arrived on campus in the summer of 2012 after transferring from Western Kentucky, where he had led the Hilltoppers in scoring during the 2011-12 season. As a 6-3 junior last season, Gordon averaged 9.8 points for the Minutemen, who reached the NCAA tournament as a No. 6 seed.

UMass coach Derek Kellogg says he notices a drastic change in Derrick Gordon’s game since he came out as gay.

"He's comfortable in his own skin now," Kellogg says. "On the court, he's so much happier. He's always smiling. His personality is so outgoing. No one wants to see a kid going through their college career hiding and not expressing themselves. It's sad and scary to think what he went through. And obviously this hadn't happened before. It's a monumental thing, and there's no blueprint for it.

"What he did, coming out to the world, took tremendous courage. I think we're all rallying behind that. Because how many kids are going through what he's going through? He's saved lives. I'm proud to be his coach."

Gordon said before came out to his teammates, he felt alone and isolated himself.

"I'd cry myself to sleep," he says.

Now, those relationships have transformed. His teammates embrace him on and off the court, whether it be at parties, team dinners or late nights playing video games.

"You could just tell something was affecting him. He was very grim and kept to himself," says teammate Tyler Bergantino. "Once he came out, he started standing up straight and walking taller. He almost immediately came out of a funk."

Gordon is prepared for a season with the spotlight shining brightly on him and his teammates, and he's well aware that there could be heckling from fans on the road.

Gordon says he's prepared for any gay slurs that opposing fans might hurl at him.

"You're not going to get inside my head. It's something I'm ready for. At the end of the day, it's going in one ear and out the other."

As a 6-3 junior last season, Derrick Gordon averaged 9.8 points for the Minutemen, who reached the NCAA tournament as a No. 6 seed.

Kellogg said, "One of our codes on this team is brotherhood. We make sure our guys understand to have each other's backs, no matter the circumstance. ... We have to understand everyone's going to have their opinion. For me personally, if someone says something negative about DG in front of me, I'll damn sure give them a piece of my mind."

Sandra Gordon said that when she first told Darryl about Derrick's sexuality, it was over the phone to the correction facility. According to Sandra, Darryl said, "Mom, no," and hung up on her.

"I still don't think Darryl will support gays, but he loves Derrick no matter what," she says. "I mean, look, he just isn't about to go out with him to the club, that's all."

Derrick expects Darryl to attend all of the Minutemen's home games. "He's so excited to see me on the court, it's almost like he's the one playing," Gordon says.

He also expects his 50-year-old boyfriend to be at several games, starting with UMass' home game against Notre Dame on Nov. 22.

***

Gordon is noticeably in love.

He met Mark Turner, who works as a banker in Beverly Hills, Calif., in August.

"We just clicked, and we've been long distance ever since," Gordon says. "We text constantly. A lot of FaceTime. He's a little bit of an amateur when it comes to basketball, but I love that he's willing to learn and that he supports me. And he understands the attention I get. If we're out, we'll hold hands together. There's no point in hiding."

Gordon's family members have yet to meet Turner.

"I think he's scared to introduce him to the family because he knows we'll grill him," says his father, Michael Sr. "I told him it's got nothing to do with him being male or female, we gonna grill him either way. Whenever he's ready, we'll be there to support his love life."

His older brother Michael says, "Nothing really has changed. When he told me he was gay, I already knew. I was like, 'OK when we working out this week?' He has dreams of playing professional basketball. I just want to make sure he stays focused with all the publicity."

Even though Gordon knows the new attention is based on his sexuality, he still just sees himself as a hard-working basketball player with dreams of making the NBA. He frequently turns to Michael Sam and Jason Collins for advice and hopes to become an ambassador like they have become.

"At the end of the day, I can't control what the NBA scouts and coaches think about my sexuality. But I can control how good of a basketball player I become. 'Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.' I read that to myself every day.

"I'm blessed to have a family that's there for me and supports me."

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