Pennsylvania's Carl Nassib Is First Active NFL Player To Publicly Come Out As Gay

West Chester, PA native and Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib became the first active NFL player to publicly come out as gay.

Nicole Acosta

06/22/2021 1:03 p.m.

Although several athletes have come out after retiring from the NFL, Nassib made history by opening up about his sexual orientation while still being an active player.

The 28-year-old said in a video posted to Instagram Monday that he has been "meaning to do this for a while now but I finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my chest.”

Nassib, who is also a graduate of Malvern Preparatory School in Chester County, pledged to donate $100,000 to The Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to crisis intervention and suicide prevention among LGBTQ+ youth.

Only 15 NFL players have come out as gay or bisexual after competing in a “preseason, practice squad or regular season," since 1964, according to OutSports.

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