Pa. Native, Penn State Grad Carl Nassib Comes Out As First Openly Gay Active NFL Player
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
WEST CHESTER, Pa. (KDKA) -- Pennsylvania native and Penn State University graduate Carl Nassib became the first active NFL player to announce that he is gay.
The Las Vegas Raiders defensive lineman made the announcement Monday on Instagram.
"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 I finally feel comfortable enough getting it off my chest. I really have the best life. I've got the best family, friends and job a guy can ask for," he said in the video from his home in West Chester. "I'm a pretty private person, so I hope you guys know that I'm not really doing this for attention. I just think representation and visibility are so important."
Nassib also announced a $100,000 donation to the Trevor Project, an organization working to helping LGBTQIA+ youth.
"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, that's compassionate. And I'm going to start by donating $100,000 to The Trevor Project," Nassib said in the video.
Watch as KDKA's Pam Surano reports:
Pittsburgh's Persad Center, the nation's second-oldest LGBTQ mental health agency, released a statement, saying:
"We are proud that Carl Nassib showed his truth today as living your authentic life is what leads to a positive mental health outlook. Our hope is that the NFL, his teammates and fans show him the respect and love that he deserves for taking this brave step."
Following his announcement, Nassib received support from Saquan Barkley, a teammate of his at Penn State, and others around the league.
Nassib went to high school at Malvern Preparatory School and later played football at Penn State. He was drafted in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before joining the Raiders in 2020.
