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The comments were part of an interview with Hearst published by the Fresno Bee on Nov. 1, shortly after former NFL player Esera Tuaolo made headlines by acknowledging that he is gay.
"I don't want any faggots on my team," Hearst said, when asked his feelings about the potential for having a gay teammate. "I know this might not be what people want to hear, but that's a punk. I don't want any faggots in this locker room."
Terry Donahue, general manager of the 49ers, said the running back's comments were "not reflective of the attitude of the organization."
Under pressure from fans and gay rights groups, Hearst stepped back from the comments on Thursday, but didn't retract them. A day later, however, he did apologize.
"I want to apologize to the gay community for the comments that I made. I didn't realize they would be so harmful," Hearst said in a press conference on Friday. "Me being African American, I know that discrimination is wrong."
Hearst's contrition did little to satisfy some gay fans or change the widespread perception that the NFL is hostile toward accepting gay players.
Lorri Jean, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, told the Associated Press, "I am sure that although Garrison Heart doesn't know it, he already is playing with gay players in the NFL. His apology is too little, too late."
Jim Oakley, a gay San Francisco resident who has been a lifelong 49er supporter, said the incident makes him a "less impassioned" fan of Hearst.
"Hearst is the poster child of the athlete who grew up in a small -- and probably narrow-minded -- community before being elevated to the role of out-of-touch, babied sports superstar," Oakley told the Gay.com / PlanetOut.com Network. "He has probably never been challenged on his thinking on a lot of controversial issues."
Earlier this week the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest gay and lesbian political organization, called on NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue to address problems of homophobia and discrimination in the league.
"HRC suggests that the NFL addresses this issue at the yearly rookie symposium, where social issues faced by players are addressed," Elizabeth Birch, executive director of the HRC, wrote in a letter to Tagliabue. "This seems like an appropriate forum to tackle this issue and make it clear to players and management that harassment and discrimination based on sexual orientation will not be tolerated."
In his 10th season in professional football, Hearst leads the 49ers in rushing, with 592 yards. He is the only man to win the NFL's comeback player of the year award twice.