Kevin Maxen: Coming Out in the NFL, Coaching, Courage and Changing the Game

Kevin Maxen has always wanted to be ‘just Kev’, and to march unapologetically to the beat of his own drum.

A lover of baseball who rose to the elite level of American football as a strength and conditioning coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars; and a lover of literature who helped some of the top athletes in the USA to excel in the NFL, Kevin has defied stereotypes throughout his life – and nowhere was that more true than in this month two years ago, when the then-Jags NFL coach opened up about the fact he happens to be gay.

Kev’s decision to share his story was the first time that a male coach in a major US sports league had spoken publicly about their sexuality – and it caused a huge reaction around the world, as you probably remember.

So, it’s a delight to have Kev on the podcast today, two years on from that momentous decision, to talk about his life and his journey, inside and outside of sport.

It’s a cracking conversation about all sorts of topics – from helping athletes fulfil their potential, to some of the NFL’s most glamorous moments, to why speaking his truth about his sexuality was such a watershed moment for both American and international sport.

This conversation with Kev is a real treat – thought-provoking, considered and humble from a man who, simply by being himself, has helped countless people across the world!

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