NFL: Carl Nassib becomes the first active player to come out as gay

The Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib became the first active NFL player to come out as gay.

“I just wanted to take a moment and say I’m gay. I’ve been going to do it for a while, but I finally feel comfortable enough to take it off my chest,” he said.

“I really have the best life, the best family, friends and a job a guy could look for.”

Nassib added: “I’m a pretty private person so I hope you know I’m not really doing this for the sake of attention. I just think representation and visibility are so important.

“I actually hope that one day videos like this and the whole process that comes out are just not needed, but until then, I’ll do my best to nurture a culture that accepts and empathizes.”

Nassib also said he is donating £ 100,000 to the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention service for LGBTQ youth in America.

No openly gay player has played a regular season in the NFL.

Defensive end Michael Sam came out as a homosexual before being staged by St. Louis Rams recruited and played for them in the preseason in 2014, but did not make their final list.

Nassib is about to enter its sixth season in the NFL, and the Cleveland Browns made it in 2016.

He then had two-year spells with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before signing a three-year contract with the Raiders in March 2020.