I have the feeling that pro-athlete photos like Humphries’ will become increasingly common. Pro soccer player Lance Parker hasn’t been afraid to show off his body. And there’s more and more money for men with lean bodies to take off their clothes in front of a camera.

A little insight into the photo shoot, from HollywoodLife.com:

Kris, 27, was apparently interested in doing the shoot because of the James Bond action hero theme and “he thought it would be a fun thing to do. He’s a guy, so the action figure theme was appealing. Plus, he wanted to help out his friend, stylist Derek Warburton, who is WestEast‘s fahion director,” an insider told Hollywoodlife.com.

While European athletes have been naked in videos, photos and ad campaigns for a decade, American pro athletes are starting to break into this more and more. We’re not complaining!

By the way, did you notice the automatic weapon in the background of the photo? What were you looking at?

You can see more of Chris Logan’s work on his Web site.

Share on Facebook

Outsports: I first came across your name on a gay Web site. Then another. It seems you’ve built quite a following among gay men. How do you feel about that?
Lance Parker: I am happy that I have been able to grow a fan base that appreciates my soccer and modeling, regardless of who they are.

How long have you been a model? How did you get your start?
I have been modeling for only a couple of years now, on and off. It all started one day at the airport when I was flying out for a soccer game and was approached by someone that told me I had nice legs. My first thought was that they were just creeping on me, but then we got to talking for a bit. They had some people that they wanted me to meet regarding modeling, and so we exchanged information. I was thinking that they probably told this to just about everyone they ran into, but I figured, what’s the worst that could come from it. Whenever I was back from the trip, they got in contact with me, we met up, and the next day I was with a modeling agency. I never really saw myself modeling, but I was happy that I had a way to bring in some extra income. And although I don’t ever really have time to model during my soccer season, it has become something that I really enjoy doing whenever I have some off time.

The vast majority of pro athletes in America would never do underwear or speedo photo shoots. Why do you think that is?
I think it all has to do with just being comfortable in your own skin, and also your surroundings. When I first started modeling, I was a bit uneasy about it, but the more I did it, and the more practice I had, the more comfortable and confident I became. While some guys would never even consider doing a photo shoot, I bet a vast majority of players would consider it if they were put in a comfortable environment and had enough self confidence in the way that they would look in the pictures.

Do you do anything differently when you model? We hear of guys dehydrating themselves right before a shoot. Is that one reason it’s hard to model during the season?
The main reason that it is hard to model during the season is because many shoots last anywhere from 1-3 full days. Seeing how I have a practice or game almost every day during the soccer season, it makes it very difficult to have time for a shoot since I cannot be at it all day long.

Also, you usually have to fly to a different city for the shoot, and that takes an extra day as well. There are definitely different things I have to do when I am modeling, as oppose to playing soccer. While I am playing soccer, I have a bit more leniency on what I can eat. Also, since I have to be extremely explosive and strong to be a goal keeper, the way I train is different. When I am not playing soccer and just modeling, I have to focus on my diet a lot more, and my workouts change. During this time I need my body to look good, and not necessarily have the strength that I normally would during soccer season. All show, and no go. As for guys dehydrating themselves when they model, some do, but I choose not to. You can look a little extra cut and shredded out, but it is terrible for your body.

Have you gotten teased about it by teammates?
Haha, yes. I had done a pretty good job about keeping my modeling a secret from most everyone except for my family and close friends, until this past year. A few of my teammates were looking around on the computer, and when they searched my name, a bunch of my modeling pictures came up. The cat’s out of the bag! A few days later, I came into the locker room to find some of those pictures, blown up to poster size, hanging up on the walls of the main room and showers. It was all in good fun though, and we all had a laugh.

Why are you so comfortable with it?
Like I said earlier, it took some time for me to become comfortable and confident in front of the camera. I think it is like any other thing that you do. The more that you practice that certain craft, the better you will become at it.

Have you ever played on a team with an openly gay player?
No, I have never been a part of a team where I had an openly gay teammate.

How do you think your current team would accept an openly gay teammate?
All of my teammates are really great guys, and everyone gets along with everyone. We have become just one big family. Some teams have these cliques where certain guys will only hang out with certain other guys, and not really talk with anyone else. My team does not have that. So if we were to have an openly gay teammate, I am sure that he would be accepted just as everyone else is, and would have no problem becoming a part of our family.

How often do you hear gay slurs like “fag” in practice, in the locker room, or during a game?
I have actually not heard it much at all, if ever lately. I don’t know if that’s just due to the slur becoming outdated, or people actually starting to realize how much damage it could have on someone.

Do you have gay friends or relatives?
Yes, I have actually become friends with many gay people. Seeing as how the majority of people in the fashion and modeling world are gay, I have had the chance to meet people with all different kinds of personalities and backgrounds. I feel very lucky to have been able to create the great friendships I have through the years.

Are “gay” issues being discussed more amongst your teammates?
No, it doesn’t seem to be a topic that comes up very much, so we never really have a reason to talk about it.

How do you feel about gay marriage?
I think that if two people love each other, then they should be able to be together, regardless of who they are.

Black and white photos courtesy of Scott Teitler for Fantastics Magazine. Color photos courtesy of Chosen Models.

Share on Facebook

This year, as they have in the past, Sports Illustrated has paired up a model with various male pro athletes. In their latest issue, Bar Rafaeli teams up with Chris Paul (after the jump), Rafael Nadal and Michael Phelps. Of course, while the women wear the smallest bikinis they can get their hands on, the men wear full shorts. At least Phelps sports his skin-tight Speedos (even if they are short-length and black, to hide “the bulge”).

Share on Facebook

Lockett, also a part-time model who’s launching a music career, told Outsports he wanted to be part of the NOH8 campaign because he was bullied in high school.

It’s a sad thing. And it’s not just being gay. There are kids who kill themselves for being a nerd or being fat. There’s not enough support in life today. We need to start lifting people up instead of trying to bring them down.

He feels the solution to bullying is helping kids understand the beauty of differences and the power their words have. Because he was bullied he is now, at 24, able to put himself in the shoes of others and understand their pain better; That’s the key to stop the bullying, he said.

Beyond the general cause of bullying, Lockett is squarely on the side of equality for gay people.

They definitely think they should have the right to marry. They’re not affecting anybody else. I know it bothers some people to see two people of the same sex together, but you shouldn’t deny them the chance to become one and get married. There are a lot of people who will never find a mate, gay or straight. I don’t knock it.

Locket said through his modeling and music he’s gotten to know a lot of gay people. It was tough at first, particularly with some guys hitting on him. But as he got to know more gay people and understand them, he said his comfort with them came quickly.

His personal thoughts on a gay teammate reflect what we’ve heard before: If you can play, you can stay.

If he makes our team better, I couldn’t care less what he does off the field. If he’s a good player, I dno’t knock anybody’s talent. That’s like saying we’re not going to hire him because he’s gay. It’s all about winning in the corporate world or the sports world.

His perception of how that gay player would be received also reflect the “If you can play you can stay” mentality. On the one hand, he said it would be extremely difficult for someone to come out in the Patriots locker room.

Football is a very masculine sports. It’s look at as a gladiator sport. If someone said they were gay, a lot of guys wouldn’t be comfortable playing with him. You have to shower with them, you have to get dressed next to them, and a lot of guys wouldn’t be comfortable with that.

However, when asked what would happen if Tom Brady were gay and came out to the team, Lockett said that changed the conversation.

It’s tough to answer that question because he’s such a great player. He’s such a great player, it would bother people but they would accept it. If it was somebody in the background or who wasn’t a star on the team I think it would be looked at a lot differenlty. But with a star like that, it’s different.

He said he used to hear “faggot” tossed around the football field in high school, but he simply doesn’t hear the word anymore. He’s much more likely to hear players call each other “bitch” than “faggot.”

While he waits for the NFL player lockout to end, he has more time to focus on his modeling and music careers. He recently released his a music video, “Let’s Go.” It’s the first for himself and his new music company, Inception Entertainment.

Lockett is also blowing up this week because of a racy story in inTouch magazine linking him to an alleged affair with Kim Kardashian.

Check out his new music video below. You can also follow him on Twitter.

Share on Facebook

To win one of the free pairs of underwear, simply Tweet on Twitter (Twitter-friendly URL is: http://tinyurl.com/4ay79qv) or post on your Facebook account a link to this post with a message about Outsports, Baskit and/or Nick Youngquest by Thursday, Feb. 17, 5pmPT. We’ll scan the social networking sites and pick two at random (be sure to “like” this post on Outsports’ Facebook page so we can find you) - one on each site – to win the free underwear (everyone may enter on both sites). Good luck and make your message fun – we’ll post the winners here on Friday!

Share on Facebook

Something to keep you warm this chilly weekend, after the jump…

Share on Facebook

Maybe Carter has forgotten about a certain two-time Super Bowl MVP who holds the single-season record for touchdown passes…and who happens to do five times as much modeling as Edwards and who is now married to a supermodel! How about a three-time NFL MVP who records more commercials than that AFLAC duck. And then there’s the wide receiver who’s caught the second most touchdowns in NFL history who shows of his hot bod to any camera with a flashbulb.

Share on Facebook

Here’s the before; The after is after the jump.

Share on Facebook

Sometimes, during practice, you throw a bad ball — that’s the way it goes. But the video comes up and he says, ‘Brady, you can’t complete a (expletive) hitch.’ And I’ll be sitting there thinking, I’m a (expletive) nine-year veteran, I’ve won three (expletive) Super Bowls — he can kiss my… That’s what you’re thinking on the inside. But on the outside I’m thinking, You know what? I’m glad he’s saying that. I’m glad that’s what he’s expecting, you know? Because that’s what I should be expecting. That’s what his style is.

And that’s one of the attributes that seperates the good players from the great players. Having a canon for an arm doesn’t hurt, either.

Share on Facebook

You can become a fan on Facebook. More pics (including a naked pic) after the jump.

Share on Facebook