Raiders' Nassib comes out on Instagram, becomes first publicly gay NFL player

Issued on: 22/06/2021 - 02:31

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib celebrates at the end of the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, U.S. November 8, 2020. © USA TODAY Sports - USA Today Sports Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo

Text by: NEWS WIRES


Las Vegas Raiders' defensive end Carl Nassib said on Monday he was gay, making him the first active National Football League player to come out publicly.

"I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I'm gay," Nassib, 28, said in a video he posted to Instagram. "I've been meaning to do this for a while now but I finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my chest," he said.

Nassib added: "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 hope that one day videos like this and the whole coming out process are just not necessary."

In an effort to cultivate a more accepting and compassionate culture, he said he was donating $100,000 to the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention service for LGBT+ youth in the United States.

Nassib played at Penn State before being drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2016 draft. He played for the Browns and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before signing with the Raiders ahead of the 2020 season.

(REUTERS)

Raiders' Carl Nassib has top-selling NFL jersey after coming out as gay



Shawna Chen
Tue, June 22, 2021


In this article:
Carl Nassib
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Las Vegas Raiders player Carl Nassib is the top-selling NFL jersey across the Fanatics network after becoming the first active NFL player in history to come out as gay, ESPN reported Tuesday.

Why it matters: The popularity of Nassib's jersey signals overwhelming support for the player, who said he was coming out now because "representation and visibility are so important."

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The vast majority NFL players who are in the LGBTQ community are closeted due to fear that their identity will negatively impact their career, former NFL player Ryan O'Callaghan told Reuters in 2019.


Worth noting: Nassib said he will be donating $100,000 to the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention service for LGBTQ youth in the U.S.