Carl Nassib first openly gay player in NFL

Las Vegas, USA, Jun 22 (EFE).- Las Vegas Raiders’ Carl Nassib has become the first openly gay NFL player after coming out in a message to his social media followers.

“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 finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my chest. I really have the best life, I’ve got the best family, friends and job a guy can ask for,” the 28-year-old said in the video posted Monday.

He added that he would donate $100,000 to the Trevor Project, a non-profit that offers mental health support and suicide prevention for LGBTQI+ youth.

Nassib’s announcement was widely welcomed.

Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner, said: “The NFL family is proud of Carl for courageously sharing his truth today. Representation matters.”

His team tweeted: “Proud of you, Carl.”

Nassib, a defensive end, joined the Raiders in 2020 on a three-year contract worth $25 million.

In 2016 he was selected in the third round draft by the Cleveland Browns after playing for Penn State. EFE

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