Carl Nassib becomes the first active NFL player to come out of the closet
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib announced Monday on Instagram that he is gay, making him the first active NFL player to come out.“What’s up, people? I’m Carl Nassib. I’m at my house here in West Chester, Pennsylvania. I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay,” Nassib said in a video message. “I’ve meant to do this for a while now, but I finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my chest.
“I really have the best life. I got 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 really not doing this for attention. I just think that representation and visibility are so important.” Nassib, 28, added he hopes the “coming-out process” is no longer necessary in the future, and he will donate $100,000 to The Trevor Project, a nonprofit that aims to prevent suicide among LGBTQ youths a written message that followed the video, Nassib said he “agonized over this moment for the last 15 years” and only recently decided to make a public announcement, thanks to the support of family and friends.
Nassib also thanked the NFL, his coaches and fellow players, some of whom commented on his announcement online. New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley, who played with Nassib at Penn State, tweeted, “Much respect, brudda.” Recently retired wide receiver Julian Edelman tweeted that it was an “awesome moment,” and former Washington cornerback DeAngelo Hall said he’s “extremely proud of Carl.”I don’t know Carl,” Hall said while on NFL Network, “but for him to unveil himself to the world the way he did, I mean, it takes courage. It takes so much strength.”
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