Carl Nassib kicked open the door for many gay athletes this past NFL season!
The NFL season is over and what a season it was for both the league and the LGBTQ+ community with Las Vegas defensive end Carl Nassib becoming the league's first active, out gay player signed to a regular-season contract. The impact was widespread, changing the way the NFL communicates with the LGBTQ+ community and making the locker room a safer space for out athletes.
Despite the recent announcement that Nassib will be released from the Raiders in a salary cap move on June 1, the 27-year-old six-year veteran made history and should have little problem extending his career with another team in need of a savvy rotational lineman.
Here are some of the moments from Nassib and the NFL over the last year that helped make history.
History Is Made
Nassib made history when he came out as gay in a simple, straightforward post to Instagram.
"What's up people," Nassib said in the now-famous video. "I'm at my house in West Chester, Pennsylvania. 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 getting it off my chest. I really have the best life, the best family, friends, and job a guy can ask for."
While he was not the first out player signed to a team, Nassib was the first to do so while signed to a regular-season roster.
Giving Voice to a Worthy Cause
Nassib stressed in his coming out video that he was a "pretty private person" and made clear folks knew he wasn't doing it for attention.
"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 and compassionate and I'm going to start by donating $100,000 to The Trevor Project," Nassib continued. "They're an incredible organization, they're the number one suicide-prevention service for LGBTQ+ youth in America and they're truly doing incredible things. I'm very excited to be a part of it and help in any way that I can and I'm really pumped to see what the future holds."
The NFL quickly matched Nassib's $100,000 donation and encouraged others to donate.
Football Is Gay
To show the new allyship of the league, the NFL went a step further and released a video that declared, "Football is gay, lesbian, beautiful, queer, bisexual, and more." The league also used its platform to, again, bring visibility to The Trevor Project.
Nassib's First Press Conference
At his first press conference since coming out, Nassib revealed he was surprised by the reaction to his announcement, and relieved it was over.
"It was incredible," Nassib said of the response. "I thought nobody would care. But it was just such a good feeling to have all that support. I was glad to do my part to help bring visibility and representation to my community."
Nassib also revealed he is not the biggest fan of press conferences, admitting he was "anxious" at the attention he was receiving.
"But now, I just wanted to get this [press conference] over with, wanted to move on."
Nassib Strips in Prime Time
Nassib forced a fumble in overtime which Derek Carr converted into a game-winning 31-yard touchdown pass to Zay Jones two plays later, giving the Las Vegas Raiders a thrilling 33-27 overtime victory against the Baltimore Ravens in the season opener of Monday Night Football at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in September.
"Lot of firsts today," Nassib said at the post-game press conference. "No one blinked. It was awesome. It was a great team win, for sure."
Nassib ended the game with three tackles and one all-important strip sack.
Love Is in the Air!
Nassib broke hearts all across Raider Nation and the LGBTQ+ community when he confirmed he has a boyfriend. He told teammate Darren Waller on his Comeback Stories podcast about how the one thing missing from his life was "to be someone's number one priority."
"And I couldn't have that, so that was the one thing, I was like, 'man I really f*cking want that,'" Nassib said, before adding, "But I got that now, so it's good."
When asked by international yoga instructor and podcast co-host Donny Starkins for more information, Nassib replied, "Oh, I met an awesome guy. He's the best."
A Picture Perfect Pair
Internet sleuths quickly surmised that a man named Erik Gudzinas could be the lucky boyfriend, with his Instagram page featuring several pics of the pair hanging out and looking really happy together.
Then Nassib confirmed Gudzinas was his man when he posted a cute couple pic to his Instagram story.
Honored in the Spotlight
Last month the NFL recognized Nassib for the impact and significance of being the first out gay and active player in league history.
Hall of Fame former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin delivered a moving speech discussing the significance of Nassib's coming out at the popular awards ceremony.
"Years ago, when I learned my brother Vaughn was gay, news like that would have been a 'stop the presses' kind of moment," Irvin said of Nassib's coming out. "Instead, it was greeted warmly and widely by the NFL family and the world at large. But we cannot underestimate what that single message meant to countless athletes and other members of the community, who have long hid their true selves out of fear."
Stressful But Worth It
Earlier this month in his first public comments since the NFL season ended, Nassib said coming out was stressful but ultimately worth the effort. In a video posted to social media by Nassib and the Raiders, he also thanked the team for matching his donation of $100,00 to The Trevor Project, which supports LGBTQ+ youth at risk of death by suicide.
"That was a really exciting day for me," Nassib said in the video. "I had wanted to do it for a really long time. I wanted to be in a place where I felt totally comfortable, totally confident to really give a voice to people that needed it the most."
Goodbye, Raider Nation
After a historic season on and off the field, it was learned the Raiders will release Nassib from his contract effective June 1. While disappointing, the move was a salary cap decision. Cutting Nassib on June 1 will save the team $8 million in cap space. There is little doubt Nassib will be signed by another team.
