Michael Sam Reacts To Carl Nassib Coming Out As Gay

Back in August 2013, Missouri football star Michael Sam came out as gay to his teammates. After winning SEC Defensive Player of the Year that fall, in February he made his sexuality public, and became the first openly gay player to be drafted into the NFL. While he didn’t wind up appearing in an NFL game, his selection was a major milestone for LGBTQ+ athletes. On Monday, Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib came out, marking another big step in that process.

“I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay,” Nassib said in a video posted to Instagram. “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. I’m a pretty private person so I hope you guys know that I’m not doing this for attention. I just think that representation and visibility are so important.”

Nassib, who also pledged a significant donation to the Trevor Project, has had a wave of public support, from fellow athletes, his head coach Jon Gruden, the Raiders as a team, and the football world at large. Early Tuesday morning, Michael Sam tweeted his support as well, stressing the importance of the message and the work of groups like the Trevor Project.

Carl Nassib made this huge announcement while being an established, productive NFL player. After a consensus All-American season at Penn State, he was a third-round pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2016, playing two years for the team before a pair of seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He joined the Raiders in 2020 on a three-year, $25 million deal.

Nassib has 143 total tackles and 20.5 sacks in 73 career NFL games.

Nassib will be the first active athlete in a major American sport to come out since Jason Collins did so towards the end of his NBA career.

The post Michael Sam Reacts To Carl Nassib Coming Out As Gay appeared first on The Spun.