Carl Nassib Becomes First Active NFL Player to Come Out as Gay: “I Truly Love My Life”

Carl Nassib, a 28-year-old defensive end for the Las Vegas Raiders, made history on Monday by coming out as gay. Although several athletes have come out after retiring from the NFL, he is the first active player to open up about his sexual orientation.

In a video posted to his Instagram account, the 6th-year veteran said he has 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,” he told his 46,000 followers. “I’ve got the best family, friends, and job a guy could ask for. I’m a pretty private person, so I hope you guys know I’m not doing this for attention, but I think representation matters.”

Nassib, who is also Arab American, added that he would be making a $100,000 donation to the Trevor Project, a national suicide prevention organization geared toward supporting LGBTQ+ youth.

When the 2021 season commences in September, Nassib could break ground as the first gay man to ever play in an NFL game. He is currently the 3rd backup behind starting Raider right defensive end Yannick Ngakoue and is in his second season with the organization, where he boasts a three-year, $25 million deal. He played in 14 games last year, recording a total of 2.5 sacks and one interception, according to ESPN.

Nassib was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2016 draft after winning the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2015 while at Penn State. Prior to joining the Raiders, Nassib previously played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2018-2019 season.

Michael Sam previously flirted with making history after coming out as gay prior to the 2014 NFL draft. While a watershed moment for LGBTQ+ inclusion in sports, the revelation led to a homophobic backlash within the league, with former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy infamously branding his sexuality as a “distraction.” Sam was ultimately drafted as the 249th overall pick in the 7th round, much lower than initially anticipated.

Sam, who was just 23 years old at the time, would be cut by the St. Louis Rams before he was ever allowed to start a game. While he got a second chance with the Dallas Cowboys the same year, he was let go less than two months after joining the practice squad.

The defensive lineman played one game with the Canadian Football League in 2015 before retiring from football.

According to the LGBTQ+ news site Outsports, 15 NFL players have come out as gay or bisexual after competing in a “preseason, practice squad or regular season.” Former offensive tackle Ryan O’Callaghan, who shared his identity with the public after retiring from the Kansas City Chiefs in 2011, has suggested that many more players remain closeted due to the stigma of being gay in professional football.

“No one is going to assume the big football player is gay,” he told Outsports 6 years after leaving the sport. “It’s why a football team is such a good place to hide.”

Hassan noted in a statement accompanying his Instagram video that he is “just one person” and needs “space as I navigate this exciting time in my life.” But he added that he hopes to make the NFL a little more welcoming for the next generation of athletes.

“I truly love my life and cannot understand why I have been blessed with so much,” he wrote. “I feel especially thankful to have had so much support when many who came before — and many even now — do not. I stand on the shoulders of giants, incredible people who have paved the way for me to have this opportunity. I do not know all the history behind our courageous LGBTQ community, but I am eager to learn and to help continue the fight for equality and acceptance.”

Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue