Document Type
Article
Date of Original Version
11-28-2011
Abstract
Come hear Esera Tuaolo's searing story of terror and hope on Monday, November 28, 2011 at 7:30 PM in Edwards Hall Auditorium. Tuaolo, a Samoan raised on a Hawaiian banana plantation, had a natural talent, football. He went on to play for five NFL teams: the Green Bay Packers, the Minnesota Vikings, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Carolina Panthers, and the Atlanta Falcons in the 1999 Super Bowl. But for the nine years he played professional football he lived in terror that when his face flashed upon the TV screen, someone would divulge his darkest secret. Esera Tuaolo is gay. Esera will take you inside the homophobic world of professional football and describe fears that almost drove him to suicide. He will evoke heartbreak--how his older brother, Tua, died of AIDS--and hope when, Esera, a deeply devout Christian fell in love and started a family. There will be a Question & Answer session followed by a book signing immediately after Esera's talk.
Comments
Alone in the Trenches: An Evening with Esera Tuaolo 2011; Dear URI Community Member, As the Office of Community, Equity & Diversity continues our efforts to create a more inclusive environment at URI for LGBTQ students, staff, and faculty, the Department of Athletics is partnering with various departments around campus to bring former NFL player Esera Tuaolo ( http://www.greatertalent.com/EseraTuaolo ) to campus on Monday, November 28th, 2011. The presentation - Alone In The Trenches: An Evening With Esera Tuaolo - will be held on the evening of Monday, November 28th at 7:30 PM in Ewards Hall Auditorium and is free and open to ALL members of the URI community.