(Photo Credits: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib came out as gay on Monday afternoon through a video he posted on the photo and video sharing social networking service Instagram. This makes Nassib, 28, the first openly gay active player in NFL history.
Nassib also donated $100,000 to the Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization that provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth in the United States.
“What’s up people? I’m at my house here in West Chester, Pennsylvania. I just want to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay,” he said. “I’ve been meaning 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’ve got the best family, friends, and job a guy could ask for.”
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 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.”
Nassib’s announcement drew a lot of reactions online. Check out some of the tweets below:
Proud of you, Carl 🖤 pic.twitter.com/R9aJxYFefW
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) June 21, 2021
The NFL community is with you, Carl. 🙌 (via @thecheckdown) pic.twitter.com/PovkVGMHTJ
— NFL (@NFL) June 22, 2021
Good for you Carl.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) June 22, 2021
Glad you feel comfortable enough to share and hopefully someday these types of announcements will no longer be considered breaking news. https://t.co/eevr8cgRay
Meanwhile, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell lauded Nassib’s announcement.
“The NFL family is proud of Carl for courageously sharing his truth today,” Goodell said. “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.”
Nassib played college football at Penn State. Before playing for Las Vegas Raiders, he played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2018 and for the Cleveland Browns in 2016.
Congrats and awesome, Mr.Nassib! You are great person and athlete–and gay just happens to another adjective for you. Having lost a gay friend to suicide, I appreciate your contribution and your using your celebrity to spotlight this important issue and the work of The Trevor Project! My heart belongs to my Titans, but I’m willing to give you at least one “Go Raiders!”
Good for him! He’s ahead of the scandal-seeking media. He’s got the support of his team and the overall NFL organization. No doubt because he’s a great guy, not just because of his sexual orientation. His donation to the Trevor Project supports that. He understands the pressure that The Community puts on youth to “Come Out.” He revealed his sexuality at a time, in a way, and to those when it was right for him to do so. Everyone should have that right without pressure. He says it very well with “I actually hope that one day, videos like this… Read more »
After it became obvious that he his signing was a mistake, with a subsequent pay ‘restructuring’, our hero comes Out. Coincidence, I’m sure
Dick Buttkissed:
You may be on to something…?
There is logic to your sentiments. What you mean is that he is ensuring his humanity by donation to The Trevor Project which is legitimate but he is, also, setting himself up…media-wise…as a humanitarian.
He will reap benefits and his donation of $100.000 is absolutely, positively, tax-deductible. There are gains to be had and he will have them…in spades.
Give the boy credit: he may have a bit more between his ears than what might hang between his legs?
I just so very much love courage, bravery, a real stand-up man.
Career over, just like all the other football players outed before him…oh wait…I forget, he’s got gay white privilege.
Why do you have to drag race in this?
HUH? Whats gay white privilage? Or atleast what does it have to do with this story… That may be a thing in the GLBTQ community but it aint in the straight community and especially among football fans …you’re reaching sir… We all know certain unfortunately elements still exist in our society but this time i think you are wrong. And I’m very much afrocentric, black and proud… but not stupid…
You read my second reply, right, he’s not the first foot-baller to come as gay, there was a African Amer., before this dude, his career is toast; no that long ago either.
It kind of seems that way, there is another very handsome gay black man; athlete who came out and it was indeed, I believe as I recall, the end of his career… Sadly, I guess you cannot be black and gay, too, too many “strikes against” one man for the broader white world to handle apparently.
“ too many “strikes against” one man for the broader white world to handle apparently” wow, just wow. Not one black discriminates against gay blacks?
Stick with the script, if you can that is ‘eye-roll’
script”, sorry as a Native American I see no “script” just a bunce of reverse racists whining about racism while being racist themselves.
Then, that’s your problem, “blind” at least you figured that out for yourself, lmao!
“white privilege”? Fukken serious? What a racist ass you are.
I thought you were allegedly Indigenous. . .then, you’d remember Jim Thorpe, wouldn’t you? Nuf said then.
Care to elaborate? Thought not.
What, too lazy/stupid to google his history yourself?
As an avid NFL football fan, I commend him for his courage. I wish him nothing but the very best. Hopefully like the professional Women’s National Basketball League, this won’t be breaking news in the future.
wait did you sneak in a jab at the WNBA at the end there? lol
Lmao, clever lad isn’t he, lol
No, not at all. I admire those ladies in the wnba. They are great athletes, courageous and proud leaders.
No, Markus, the association, not the athletes themselves.
Good for him to come out of the closet and he seems to be a great player in the field, seems down to earth and it doesn’t hurt that he’s really attractive and buff! Hopefully this will be a non issue years to come, and I’m tired of str8 folks posting ‘who cares!’ on social media, well…. the homophobes seem to care enough to keep harrasing us, so yes we fucking do care! As for us gay men, we should stop posting thirsty comments on social media as well. Yes he’s a hunk, but come on guys lol! He’s not… Read more »
Peole sometimes criticize famous people coming out because they think its publicity or something non organic… Its because they dont want to live a damn lie even if it means their jobs or career…and they wanna be the ones that lets society know this…not a tabloid or TMZ or something… That will use it for ratings or money and twist it and sensationalize it and make it negative… So they take the power from them and do it themselves…
And a huge trump supporter and republican self hating gay. 1 donation to Trevor project isn’t going to make that go away. Let’s not celebrate midiocre white men that are still damaging to our community. Cool you’re out and you’re still trash.
Chibtm:
I could not have written it any better…with more aplomb!
Shakespeare should be worried…very, very, very worried! Such fineness! Such poetry!
whoa really?! I didn’t know he’s a Trump supporter, where are the articles that states that?
Sad to be you. So much hate from those that claim love and acceptance of all. Only trash i see is you and all the gays like you, give all gays a bad name and image.
Your racist comment is trash
!!! Are you kidding ‘us’, how diabolical is; wait a minute not that surprising, actually, I hadn’t even considered his political-stand; did not know ‘that’ about ‘him’… so he’s like what’s it’s face, the formerly ‘Bruce Jenner’ basically a scum-sucking “log-cabin” queer, ha, go figure! Thank you for that, Chibtm.
Wasn’t Michael Sam’s sort of the first? Although he never got his career off the ground.
he never played in NFL after his coming out…
Another “celebrity” comes out, whoopie
Agreed,, it really is important.. sport is really a danger zone for gay youth. the resistance from coaching on down has robbed players and fans.. thanks so much.. i look forward to seeing you play and have a great season all of y’all