The history of professional athletes coming out as gay is, sadly, a short one–especially in the four major leagues (the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL). But today, Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib made history by becoming the first ever active NFL player to come out as gay, making for a great Pride celebration for the community.
This is huge, and is already making headlines across the country in major news outlets and on social media. Needless to say, to come out as an active NFL player at a time when social media mean-spiritedness is at an all-time high takes a hell of a lot of courage from the 28 -year-old.
Nassib came out in a post on Instagram earlier today, saying: “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 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 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. I actually hope that like one day, videos like this and the whole coming out process are just not necessary. But until then, I’m going to do my best and do my part to cultivate a culture that’s accepting, that’s compassionate.”
The player continued, noting: “I’m going to start by donating $100,000 to the Trevor Project. They’re an incredible organization, they’re the No. 1 suicide prevention service for LGBTQ youth in America, and they’re truly doing incredible things. And I’m very excited ot be a part of it, to help in any way that I can, and I’m really pumped to see what the future holds.”
In his Insta post, he continued with the following message, thanking his fellow players for their support and noting he was anxious to further educate himself on LGBTQ history and help the cause:
Nassib played football at Penn State before entering the NFL, winning the Lombardi Award as the best college football linemen/linebacker in 2015. That’s the same university where John Amaechi played basketball (in February 2007, Amaechi became the first former NBA player to publicly come out as gay). Nassib was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2016, and also played for Tampa Bay before joining the Raiders last year, when he signed a three-year, $25 million contract. In 2020, the 6-foot-7, 275 pound West Chester native notched 20 tackles and 2.5 sacks, and talllied his first career interception.
In 2013, Washington Wizards center Jason Collins became the first person to openly come out in any of the four major professional sports leagues. In 2014, Michael Sam became the first openly gay man to ever be drafted into the NFL (he was eventually let go from the team before ever playing and left the sport a year later). In 2018, former Dallas Cowboy Jeff Rohrer (who played in the 1980s) publicly came out.
Former NFL player Ryan O’Callaghan came out of the closet in 2019, eight years after retiring. Also that year, Ryan Russell came out as bisexual a year after being let go as a free agent by the Buffalo Bills. Former Washington Redskin Jerry Smith privately came out after retiring in 1978, and then spoke to The Washington Post about his AIDS diagnosis in 1986, months before he passed away.
Collins and Russell were among those to offer their support on Twitter, as was hunky (but sadly straight) Patriot Julian Edelman:
https://twitter.com/jasoncollins98/status/1407111047950090242
The @NFL is not changing; LGBTQ+ athletes are a part of every sport and always have been. The only thing changing is the amount of love, acceptance, and comfortability we feel every day just being ourselves and being supported by our teammates, coaches, and the game's fans.
— R.K. Russell (@RKRelentless) June 21, 2021
Awesome moment. Spreading the love to the @TrevorProject very classy move. ❤️ https://t.co/pOWGsvRMUW
— Julian Edelman (@Edelman11) June 21, 2021
We’re getting pretty emotional here at The Sword with this news. What do you think of Carl’s announcement?
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I do believe Dave Kopay was the first active NFL player to come out of the closet back in 1976. Has he been lost to ancient history already?
I wonder who is next to follow Carl Nassib to come out in the NFL ? I hope that it start a precedent. We needs more NFL player’s to come out. Set a example to high school and colleges student athletes. That you can be masculine, muscular, athletic and gay.
I fill it hard to believe that he is gay. He look too straight. I can’t imagine him sucking cock and fucking a guy in the ass, or being fuck. I wonder who his boyfriend is ? Maybe his boyfriend force him out because he is tired of hiding in the shadows to friends, family and teammates. We shall see.
Good for him for coming out ! Nice of him to donate the money but why donate now at th3 same time he comes out. Why not donate the money before or anonymously? Sorry celebs coming out is fine but don’t try and get every gays praise but telling every one you donated money what the hell has that got to do with coming out. I wish him all the best but I hope he isn’t like every celeb or sportsman that comes out. They start flaunting the gay side of their life ie gay interviews , acting girlie ,.
Bracer Grow the fuck up you child! You all crap nobody understands!
Maybe you should go back to school and learn how to write a proper sentence, gurl! Take a seat and know your place.
What an awesome handsome young, guy with no attitude state his truth. More power to him. Hopefully he hasn’t just screwed himself by coming out. Not to be creepy but who among us want to see Carl nude in the n the team shower post game.
We all do. We want to see what he packing between the leg.
I think it’s great he came to the conclusion with his sexuality if he felt he had too. I’m speculating his family is his biggest support and I’m proud of all of them to let him live his life like he wants to. His fans, friends and team mates might have hurtful things to say, but it sounds like the NFL is supporting him and team mates need to be careful with what the say or say nothing at all.
Raiders are in Las Vegas, where I live. Not a Raiders fan yet because at $1800 for cheap seats to see a game, not in my budget. But we get great coverage at the sports books in all the casino. Maybe I will run into him at Charlie’s, The Garage or other gay bars. If I do I will say something positive to Carl.
Is he really the first active openly gay NFL player in history? I thought there were others. Hmmm. Oh well… anytime ANY competing athlete comes out, we should celebrate it. There are many others who were too afraid or are too afraid to make such a move; and the aspiring athletes of tomorrow need to know that they can be who they are and still be successful in the field.
A few have come out after retirement and then there was the guy that came out prior to the draft but didn’t make the team after training.
Unfortunately the first time he gets photographed holding another man’s hand or kissing a guy in public the honeymoon phase will be over.
I want to see Carl Nassib holding hand and kissing another man. I think that will be beautiful, for a big muscular man. He looks too straight.
What makes this so moving and meaningful is him doing it now and not later. What is even better is him putting money where his mouth is. Gay and bisexual youth has been ridiculed for too long. Many of them in their own homes. The fact he put a lot of money in preventing suicide will only light a fire of action.
If you know someone young and has/had thoughts of suicide, get involved!
Anyone who has ever been in a locker room knows how cruel the atmosphere can be. This man deserves to be admired not ridiculed by the athletes in there. He’s brave. He’s classy. He’s a role model. Help him; don’t hinder him.
And his professional career just officially started spiral downwards. He will automatically be blacklisted. Remember Michael Sams, he gone. Oh well at least he might have a future in porn, look at the mma guys that’s where a lot of them ended up.
I doubt that. Today’s society is more tolerant than a few years ago. Only people who had a problem w/ MMA was the fact they did gay or bi porn, were the writers who wrote stories on their background.
Yeah, but Nassib is a white person. Let’s not pretend for a moment that that matters.
And by ‘that matters’ I meant ‘let’s not pretend that that doesn’t matter.’
And by ‘that matters’, ‘that matters’ I meant ‘let’s not pretend that doesn’t matter.’
And by ‘that matters’, ‘that matters’, ‘that matters’ I meant ‘let’s not pretend that doesn’t matter.’
Sams was a third rate player that couldn’t cope at the big game. He got a shot and walked away before he could get cut.
Sounds a little racist there, wil blu. How do you know that he couldn’t cope? were you there?, do you know him?, did he tell you that? Unless you have verified facts, you should keep it to yourself and take a seat.
This is a big deal. There are a lot of closeted young gay athletes in high schools and colleges in the USA who can look at Carl and know they aren’t alone and feel better about themselves. Well done Carl!!!