HENDERSON, Nev. — Las Vegas Raiders defensive finish Carl Nassib on Monday grew to become the primary lively NFL participant to come back out as homosexual.
Nassib, 28, made the announcement in an Instagram put up.
“What’s up individuals?” Nassib posted. “I’m at my home right here in West Chester, Pennsylvania. I simply need to take a fast second to say that I’m homosexual. I’ve been which means to do that for some time now, however I lastly really feel snug sufficient to get it off my chest. I actually have the very best life, I’ve received the very best household, associates and job a man might ask for.
“I’m a fairly personal individual so I hope you guys know that I’m actually not doing this for consideration. I simply suppose that illustration and visibility are so vital. I really hope that like at some point, movies like this and the entire coming-out course of are simply not crucial. However till then, I’m going to do my finest and do my half to domesticate a tradition that’s accepting, that’s compassionate and I’m going to begin by donating $100,000 to the Trevor Challenge.”
The Trevor Challenge supplies disaster intervention and suicide prevention providers to the LGBTQ+ group.
“They’re an unimaginable group, they’re the No. 1 suicide-prevention service for LGBTQ youth in America,” Nassib mentioned. “And so they’re really doing unimaginable issues. And I’m very excited to be part of it, assist in any approach that I can and I’m actually pumped to see what the longer term holds.”
Response to Nassib’s announcement was speedy all through the NFL and sports activities world general.
In an announcement, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell mentioned the league “is happy with Carl for courageously sharing his fact in the present day.”
“Illustration issues,” Goodell mentioned. “We share his hope that sometime quickly statements like his will not be newsworthy as we march towards full equality for the LGBTQ+ group. We want Carl the very best of luck this coming season.”
After Nassib’s announcement, Raiders proprietor Mark Davis informed ESPN, “It’s 2023. All of the extra energy to Carl. It doesn’t change my opinion of him as an individual or as a Raider.” Coach Jon Gruden added by way of textual content message to ESPN: “I discovered a very long time in the past what makes a person totally different is what makes him nice.”
The crew additionally responded to Nassib’s put up on Instagram with three black hearts, in addition to with a tweet:
Pleased with you, Carl ? pic.twitter.com/R9aJxYFefW
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) June 21, 2023
GLAAD referred to as Nassib’s anouncement “a historic reflection of the rising state of LGBTQ visibility and inclusion on this planet {of professional} sports activities.”
“… Carl Nassib’s story won’t solely have a profound impression on the way forward for LGBTQ visibility and acceptance in sports activities, however sends a powerful message to so many LGBTQ individuals, particularly youth, that they can also at some point develop as much as be and succeed as knowledgeable athlete like him,” the group mentioned as a part of an announcement.
Nassib joined the Raiders in 2023 on a three-year, $25 million free-agent deal, with $16.75 million assured. He had 2.5 sacks and an interception in 14 video games, 5 begins, for Las Vegas final season.
A 3rd-round choose of the Cleveland Browns in 2016 out of Penn State, Nassib additionally performed two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier than becoming a member of the Raiders. He got here to nationwide consideration as a star of the Browns’ “Exhausting Knocks” look in 2018, giving monetary recommendation to teammates in addition to providing his tackle the existence of aliens.
Michael Sam, the previous Missouri linebacker, grew to become the primary brazenly homosexual participant to be drafted in NFL historical past in 2014, when the Rams took him 249th general. He was reduce by the crew on the finish of coaching camp that yr and by no means performed a regular-season sport within the NFL.
Ryan Russell, a free agent on the time after taking part in three seasons between the Dallas Cowboys and Buccaneers, got here out as bisexual in a narrative printed by ESPN in 2019.
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