Rogers To Sign With LA Galaxy, Could Be 1st Gay Athlete To Compete In American Sports

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) - The day after basketball player Jason Collins announced that he was gay in April, he called then retired soccer player Robbie Rogers.

In February, Rogers came out and said he would retire from soccer all in the same day.

According to reports, Rogers will return to soccer and has agreed to sign with the Los Angeles Galaxy, making him the first openly gay player in Major League Soccer.

"Secrets can cause so much internal damage," Rogers blogged on his website. "People love to preach about honesty, how honesty is so plain and simple. Try explaining to your loved ones after 25 years you are gay."

Rogers originally came out in a blog post saying he wanted to step away from the sport to take time to discover himself.

But recently, while talking to a kids group at an LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) event, he said he felt like a coward and that he had a platform and a voice to be a role model.

"I want to come back and be that voice, be that role model," Rogers told USA Today. " I want to compete on the field. I want to make it back to the national team. I want to be a role model. I have a lot of motivating factors working for me right now."

Rogers, who is from Palos Verdes, could see action as soon as Sunday when the Galaxy host Seattle, which would make him the first openly gay athlete to compete in an American sport.