Raiders' Carl Nassib Becomes First Openly Gay Active NFL Player, Partners With SoCal-Based 'Trevor Project'
LAS VEGAS (CBSLA) -- Carl Nassib, defensive end for the Las Vegas Raiders, made history on Monday by becoming the first openly gay active player for the National Football League.
The football player announced he is gay in an Instagram post and shared that he'd be making a $100,000 donation to the Trevor Project as well as partnering with them to help "cultivate a culture that's accepting and compassionate."
The organization, which is headquartered in West Hollywood, provides crisis invention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth.
It was founded in 1998 and named for a short film Trevor about a gay 13-year-old by the same name who attempted to end his own life after being rejected because of his sexuality.
Nassib said he has been struggling to be open about his sexuality for more than a decade but is now comfortable and proud about who he is.
"Sadly, I've agonized over this moment for the last 15 years," he said in the post on Instagram.
He said he's been welcomed by his loved ones and the NFL community.
"I am also incredibly thankful for the NFL, coaches and fellow players for their support," he added.
"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 got the best family, friends and job a guy could ask for," Nassib said in the video.
"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 one day, videos like this and the whole coming out process are just not necessary."