Raiders’ Carl Nassib Comes out as NFL’s First Active Openly Gay Player

Carl Nassib, a defensive lineman of the Las Vegas Raiders, announced on Monday he is gay. Nassib made the announcement on his Instagram page, becoming the first active openly gay player in NFL history.

“What’s up people,” Nassib said in an Instagram video. “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, 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 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.”

In the post, Nassib wrote that he is “incredibly thankful for the NFL, my coaches and fellow players for their support. I would not have been able to do this without them. From the jump, I was greeted with the utmost respect and acceptance. I truly love my life and cannot understand why I have been blessed with so much. I feel especially thankful to have had had much support when many who came before – and many even now – do not. I stand on the shoulders of giants, incredible people who paved the way for me to have this opportunity. I do not know all the history behind the courageous LGBTQ community, but I am eager to learn and help continue the fight for equality and acceptance.”

Nassib, 28, was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the third round in 2016 from Penn State. He spent two seasons with the Browns before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2018. In his two seasons with the Buccaneers, Nassib recorded 12.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss. In March 2020, Nassib signed a three-year, $25 million contract with the Raiders and notched 28 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 14 games with five starts this past season.