Defensive end Carl Nassib of the Las Vegas Raiders became the first active NFL player to come out as gay on Monday.
“What’s up, people?” Nassib posted on Instagram. “I’m at my house in West Chester, Pennsylvania. I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay. 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, I have 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 just not necessary. But until then, I will do my best and do my part to cultivate a culture that’s accepting and compassionate, and I’m going to start by donating $100,000 to the Trevor Project. They’re an incredible organization, they’re the number-one suicide prevention service for LGBTQ youth in America and they’re truly doing incredible things. I’m very excited to be a part of it and help in any way that I can and I’m really pumped to see what the future holds.”
Along with the video, Nassib also put out a statement.
“Hey everyone. Happy Pride Month. Right now, I am sitting in a moment of gratitude and relief,” Nassib wrote. “Sadly, I have agonized over this moment for the last 15 years. Only until recently, thanks to my family and friends, especially Connor, Cason, and Francis, did it seem possible for me to say publicly and proudly that I’m gay. I’m also incredibly thankful for the NFL, my coaches, and fellow players for their support. I would not have been able to do this without them.”
— Lindsay Jones (@bylindsayhjones) June 21, 2021
Nassib has been in the league since 2016, when he was selected in the third round of the NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns. He played college ball at Penn State and gained some fame when the Browns were featured on HBO’s “Hard Knocks.”
In his five NFL seasons, Nassib has 20.5 sacks and 97 solo tackles in 73 career games. He signed a three-year, $25 million deal with the Raiders in 2020 and had one interception and 2.5 sacks in his first season in Las Vegas.
The NFL put out a statement after Nassib’s announcement, saying, “The NFL family is proud of Carl for courageously sharing his truth today. 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.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell weighs in on #Raiders DE Carl Nassib’s “courageous” coming out. pic.twitter.com/4k73drunql
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 21, 2021
Nassib announced that he will be donating $100,000 to the Trevor Project. The website states to be the “leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25.”