Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib on Monday became the first active NFL player to come out as gay.
He announced the news on Instagram, saying he wasn't doing it for the attention but because he felt representation and visibility were important.
Nassib also said in his short video message that he was donating $100,000 to the Trevor Project, a non-profit that seeks to prevent suicide among LGBTQ youth.
The 28-year-old from West Chester, Pennsylvania is a sixth-year pro who was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2016 in the third round out of Penn State.
He played two seasons for the Browns and two for Tampa Bay before joining the Raiders in 2020.
.@Raiders DE Carl Nassib announced today that he’s gay. He also shared he's donating $100,000 to the @TrevorProject, a suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ youth.
— NFL (@NFL) June 21, 2021
The NFL family is proud of you, Carl. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/HXbcBuLg2X