GEORGIA
NATIVE
ROY
SIMMONS
played
for
the
New
York
Giants
from
1979-’83,
and
with
the
Washington
Redskins
from
’83
to
’85,
including
during
the
team’s
Super
Bowl
XVIII
victory
in
1984.
Nicknamed
“Sugar
Bear”
by
his
former
teammates
for
his
warmth
and
generosity,
Simmons
hid
his
sexual
orientation
from
most
everyone
until
the
early
1990s.
It’s
understandable
in
an
atmosphere
where
players
and
even
the
president
of
a
football
team
still
use
derogatory
terms
for
gays
during
angry
moments.
According
to
news
reports,
Detroit
Lions
president
Matt
Millen
apologized
this
week
for
twice
describing
Kansas
City
receiver
Johnnie
Morton
as
a
“faggot”
after
a
game
Sunday,
Dec.
14.
Simmons,
a
47-year-old
retired
athlete,
came
out
as
a
gay
man
in
1992
on
the
“Phil
Donahue
Show,”
a
time
preceded
by
fear
and
confusion.
Before
then,
he
abused
alcohol
and
illicit
drugs
and
was
living
on
the
“down
low,”
a
trendy
term
in
some
gay
social
circles
for
black
gay
or
bisexual
men
who
are
either
in
the
closet
or
do
not
identify
as
gay.
Earlier
this
month,
Simmons
came
out
again,
this
time
as
a
person
living
with
HIV.
He
now
lives
in
Massachusetts,
on
Martha’s
Vineyard,
and
has
given
over
much
of
his
care
to
his
best
friend,
Jimmy
Hester,
who
also
is
HIV-positive,
and
his
naturopathic
doctor,
Roni
DeLuz.
He’s
working
on
a
book
about
his
life
with
sports
writer
Benoit
Lewis.
And
in
January,
Simmons
plans
to
begin
speaking
at
colleges
and
working
to
educate
people
nationwide
about
HIV/AIDS.
He
recently
spoke
with
the
Blade.
How
did
your
football
career
begin?
Well,
I
grew
up
in
Savannah,
Georgia.
I
played
a
number
of
positions
—
offensive
tackle,
defensive
tackle,
offensive
guard,
nose
guard.
I
was
recruited
by
a
number
of
schools,
but
I
wanted
to
stay
in
state
close
to
home,
so
I
went
to
Georgia
Tech.
I
did
well
in
school,
both
academically
and
athletically,
and
I
thought
I’d
be
drafted
in
the
NFL’s
first
round.
All
the
scouts
thought
that.
Everyone
thought
that.
But
I
didn’t
go
until
the
eighth
[round]
to
the
Giants.
Sounds
like
a
major
disappointment.
Things
had
always
gone
my
way
up
until
that
point.
Words
don’t
describe
it.
I
was
embarrassed,
humiliated,
angry.
There
are
some
moments
in
your
life
that
are
history-making
events.
Things
you
don’t
forget.
What
other
events
come
to
mind
as
history-making
moments?
When
I
met
my
daughter’s
mother
in
the
third
grade,
that’s
one.
The
birth
of
my
daughter.
I’d
say
sobriety.
Doing
drugs.
Attending
the
Super
Bowl
with
the
Redskins.
Being
baptized
here
on
Martha’s
Vineyard
in
the
ocean.
Freeing
myself
on
the
“Donahue
Show”
in
1992.
That
helped
a
lot
of
people.
Meeting
Dr.
Roni
through
my
best
friend,
Jimmy.
I’m
pleased
and
honored
to
have
met
these
two
beautiful
angels
in
my
life.
When
did
you
find
out
you
were
HIV-positive,
and
what
was
that
initial
moment
like?
I
was
diagnosed
in
1997.
I
was
scheduled
to
go
to
Israel
by
myself
on
a
spiritual
retreat
for
a
couple
of
weeks,
but
I
went
to
the
doctor
before
I
went.
I
had
been
sick
with
all
this
stuff
I
don’t
get
—
earache,
sore
throat.
He
asked
me
when
was
the
last
time
I
was
tested,
and
I
said
three
or
four
years
ago.
Were
you
worried?
I
was
nervous.
No
one
is
totally
sure.
Especially
when
it
comes
to
intercourse.
Some
people
have
blackouts
that
they
can’t
remember
[what
they
did].
Being
told
that
I
was
positive,
there’s
a
shade
of
darkness
that
comes
over
you
—
fear,
knowing
that
you’re
going
to
die.
At
that
point,
I
had
been
clean
for
five
years.
I
was
a
substance
abuse
counselor
in
East
Hampton,
New
York.
It
was
just
shocking.
Having
to
make
that
call
to
your
mother
—
that
was
awful.
And
telling
your
daughter?
Kara?
Yes.
Telling
her
—
it
was
not
easy.
A
lot
of
crying,
despair.
Overall
though,
I
am
her
Dad.
And
there
is
forgiveness.
Your
announcement
to
come
out
this
year
as
HIV-positive
coincided
with
World
AIDS
Day
on
Dec.
1.
What
went
into
your
decision
to
come
forward
at
this
moment?
Well,
my
experience
with
Jimmy
and
Dr.
Roni.
Jimmy’s
an
old
friend
of
mine
from
my
days
as
a
New
York
Giant.
He
was
the
busboy
at
the
restaurant
that
many
of
the
Giants
would
hang
out
in.
I’ve
known
him
that
long.
He
brought
me
to
Martha’s
Vineyard
to
take
charge
of
my
life
and
my
health.
He
said,
“I
made
a
promise
to
help
you,
and
now
you
must
make
a
promise
to
help
others.
This
is
my
way.”
It
is
a
beautiful
experience
of
setting
yourself
free
again
[after]
years
of
torture
and
anguish.
What
is
your
message
and
how
are
you
going
about
educating
people?
The
message
is:
“Respect
yourself.
Get
tested.
And
be
honest.”
I’m
hoping
to
work
through
seminars,
the
churches
and
the
media.
Also
through
my
Web
site,
www.sugarbear.info.
I’ve
recently
spoken
with
Debra
Fraser-Howze
of
the
National
Black
Leadership
Campaign
on
AIDS
[in
New
York].
We
want
to
work
together
to
help
resolve
this
situation,
and
together
are
looking
at
ways
to
partner
together.
Living
life
on
the
down
low
…
having
relationships
with
women
but
also
with
men
on
the
side.
Would
you
say
that
you
were
a
typical
representation
of
that
lifestyle?
Yes,
I
was
typical
until
1992
when
I
came
out
on
the
“Phil
Donahue
Show.”
That
was
a
big
step
for
me.
After
freeing
myself,
I
have
thought
it
...
