Terry Crews -- Gay NFL Players Have It As Tough As Gay Soldiers

If a gay NFL player is about to come out publicly ... football player-turned actor Terry Crews thinks the guy's facing a huge challenge due to what he calls ... "ultra-badass" machismo.

Terry's known for his tough guy acting roles now, but also played 7 seasons in the NFL -- and told us it's harder to come out in pro football than any other sport "because of the violent nature of it."

He added, "It's almost like the military."

As for whether the rumors of a player coming out are true -- Terry definitely has an opinion ... one that's tied to Prez Obama.