NFL world congratulates Carl Nassib on coming out as gay

NFL players congratulated Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib for coming out as gay on Monday.

On Monday, Las Vegas Raiders defensive lineman Carl Nassib announced on his personal Instagram account that he was gay, making him the first active NFL player to do so. In addition to this announcement, Nassib revealed that he would be pledging $100,000 to the Trevor Project, a national organization that provides suicide prevention and crisis intervention services to LGBTQ youth.

Following Nassib’s huge and heroic announcement, those in the NFL world congratulated the defensive end on Twitter, from players like Saquon Barkley and J.J. Watt to commissioner Roger Goodell (via an official statement) to teams like the Atlanta Falcons.

NFL world congratulates Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib on coming out as gay

“Hey everyone, happy Pride Month. Right now, I am sitting in a moment of gratitude and relief, said Nassib in his Instagram post. “Sadly, I have agonized over this moment for the last 15 years. Only until recently, thanks to my family and friends, especially Conor, Cason and Francis, did it seem possible for me to say publicly and proudly that I’m gay. I am also incredibly thankful for the NFL, my coaches and fellow players for their support. I would not have been able to do this without them. From the jump, I was greeted with the utmost respect and acceptance.

“I truly love my life and cannot understand why I have been blessed with so much. 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 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 quality and acceptance.”

After playing college football at Penn State, Nassib was selected in the third round of the NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. Following a two-year stint with Cleveland, Nassib joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are among the betting favorites to win the Super Bowl, before signing a three-year deal with the Raiders. In his five-year career, Nassib recorded 143 combined tackles (36 for loss), 20.5 sacks, three forced fumbles (one recovery) and one interception.

Nassib displayed tremendous strength by making his statement, and like he said, he had tremendous support from coaches and fellow players. That was evident based on the congratulatory tweets and outpouring of support from his colleagues.