Trey McBride may not be a household name among NFL fans, but he may soon be.
The tight end from Colorado State University is expected to be selected in the NFL Draft, which kicks off Thursday in Las Vegas. He’ll also become the first NFL player with same-sex parents. McBride is one of five kids Kate McBride has with her longtime partner, Jen. They are beaming with pride for their son.
“I’m excited to see him just live his dream,” Kate told TODAY. “When your kid comes to you when they’re little and they say they want to be president, you’re like, ‘OK, honey, that’s great.’ He wanted to play in the NFL, and he’s going to do it.”
Kate and Jen started their family in the 1990s and say the climate of acceptance was different
“They actually considered me a single mom,” Kate said. “And I do remember telling my parents that I’m pregnant, and they said, ‘Why would you want to have a baby as a single woman?’ And I said, ‘I’m not a single woman. I’m in a relationship.’”
Trey blossomed into one of the premiere tight ends in all of college football. A unanimous All-American last season, he led Division 1 in receptions and yards, en route to winning the John Mackey Award, given out annually to the top tight end in the country. He says his parents established a backbone for his own growth.
“They’ve done a great job of pushing me to be the best version of myself and just constantly giving support and love,” he said.
Trey also knows his story can help drive change, but it’s not something he feels a need to harp on.
“Really, it’s just normal to me. It’s something that I’ve been with my whole life. It’s not anything that I know differently,” he said.
When it came to concerns about kids picking on their children because they have same-sex parents, Kate and Jen tried to hammer home a message of love.
“You always worry about your kids,” Jen said. “Because we’re all kids. We know how kids are. But the main thing is with them is, be confident in who you are. You come from a family that every single one of us are in your corner, no matter what, anytime in the day. So, nobody really talked about bullying.”
Trey says his parents have always led the way for their family.
“It’s pretty special. It’s heartwarming and they’ve been great role models for me and my brothers, so it’s cool to see how they raised us and it’s just very special for us,” he said.
“More important than him playing in the NFL or anything is he’s a good human. He’s a good kid. That’s most important,” Kate said.