The Las Vegas Raiders‘ Carl Nassib became the first active NFL player to come out as gay. The defensive end made the announcement in an Instagram post on Monday, adding he’s agonized over this moment for the last 15 years.
“I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay,” Nassib said. “I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now but finally feel comfortable getting it off my chest. I really have the best life, the best family, friends and job a guy can ask for.
“I’m a pretty private person so I hope you guys know that I’m not doing this for attention. I just think that representation and visibility are so important. I actually hope that one day, videos like this and the whole coming out process are not necessary, but until then I will do my best and my part to cultivate a culture that’s accepting and compassionate.”
He added he will start to do his part by donating $100,000 to The Trevor Project, an organization focused on crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth under the age of 25. The NFL announced Tuesday it would match Nassib’s donation.
In a written statement, Nassib added that he was “greeted with the utmost respect and acceptance” from the NFL, his coaches and fellow players and was thankful for their support. “I would not have been able to do this without them,” he wrote.
“The NFL family is proud of Carl for courageously sharing his truth today,” league commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement Monday. “Representation matters. We share his hope that someday soon statements like his will no longer be newsworthy as we march toward full equality for the LGBTQ+ community. We wish Carl the best of luck this coming season.”
Nassib, 28, is entering his second year with the Raiders and his sixth in the league. He has 20.5 career sacks and 143 combined tackles, 97 of which are solo. Nassib, who attended Penn State, was drafted in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns.
“I am a lanky walk-on who is living his dream,” Nassib wrote. “I only have a small window to achieve greatness in my sport and I owe it to my team, coaches, and Raiders fans to be completely locked in and at my best for the upcoming season,”
Former defensive end and current free agent Ryan Russell congratulated Nassib after his announcement, saying “Ball out this season brother!” Russell came out as bisexual in 2019 and intended to stay active in the league but has not been on a roster since then.
Penn State coach James Franklin said Nassib inspired him and his wife, Fumi, to donate $10,000 to The Trevor Project.
“Carl’s brave announcement will forge a path for others to be true to their authentic self,” Franklin said.
June is known as Pride Month and it honors the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, which is considered a catalyst for the gay rights movement in the United States.
