Carl Nassib may not be a huge name in NFL circles but he’s put together a solid career. He’s entering his sixth year in the league and second with the Las Vegas Raiders. While he’s not a superstar, he’s officially become an important part of NFL history.
On Monday, Nassib announced on Instagram that he’s coming out as gay.
Here’s the transcript of what he had to say:
What’s up people. 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.
This was a major announcement for Nassib to make as there has never been an openly gay NFL player. Obviously, Michael Sam made headlines several years back for trying to become the first openly gay NFL player. That didn’t end up working out but now Nassib can carry the torch.
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Internet Reacts to Nassib News
Nassib deciding to come out as gay was no small decision. There’s a reason no other NFL player has done it. There are bound to be some who aren’t happy with what the defensive end decided to do but he’s receiving an outpouring of support from many in the sports media.
Big ups to Carl Nassib. That’s gotta be tough. Holding something in like that for so long.
Much respect to @Raiders DE Carl Nassib.
However, some did express concern that NFL wouldn’t handle this situation properly.
I hope the NFL is prepared to do right by Carl Nassib in ways they weren’t for everyone else. We’ll see.
Regardless of how the NFL goes about Nassib coming out, there’s no doubt this is a historic day for the league.
Nassib Heading Into Important Season With Raiders
Nassib’s name will now forever be linked to NFL history. However, he’s going to need to have a big season for the Raiders. The team gave him a decent size payday last offseason. He got off to a bit of a rough start and only finished the season with 2.5 sacks. That was down from the previous season in which he had six sacks.
The Raiders have a big need for pass rush as they’ve been among the NFL’s worst at getting to the quarterback. This offseason, the team signed Yannick Ngakoue and drafted Malcolm Koonce. The added depth and skill at pass rusher should only help a player like Nassib. The team has relied too much on certain players over the years without having great depth. That’s hurt players like Nassib, who is better served to be a situational pass rusher. With more talent now on the defensive line, he could be a more impactful player for the Raiders in 2021.
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Raiders DE First Ever Active NFL Player to Come out as Gay