Raiders Defensive End Carl Nassib Makes History as First Active NFL Player to Come Out as Gay

The National Football League has never had an openly gay active player — until now. On Monday, Las Vegas Raiders’ Carl Nassib made history by coming out gay in a video posted to his Instagram page.

“What’s up, people,” the 28-year-old defensive lineman began. “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.”

He continued, “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.”

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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell praised Nassib and said the league is proud of him for “courageously sharing his truth,” in a statement, according to ESPN. 

Many retired players have come out publicly since retiring. And Michael Sam was the first openly gay player to be drafted in 2014. But Nassib marks the first active player to do it, something the LGBTQ community has waited a long time for. 

Dave Kopay was one of the first to come out back in 1975 after his retirement. He played for almost 10 years as a running back in the NFL. According to Rolling Stone, he is one of the first pro athletes to come out and is typically thought of as the father of the modern LGBTQ sports movement.