Carl Nassib is one of those rare barrier breakers who will have his name in the history books for the rest of time. The retired NFL player became the first gay NFL player to come out while on a team’s active roster when he announced his sexuality to the world bravely on June 21, 2021.
Now, the LGBTQ advocate is reminiscing on that moment half a decade later on his Instagram.
“A friend just reminded me that yesterday was officially 5 years since I came out. Without a doubt the best decision I’ve ever made. The last 5 years have been by far the greatest time of my life and the best is yet to come! Happy Pride everyone :)”
Michael Sam came out publicly as gay ahead of the 2014 NFL Draft, but he was never signed to an NFL team’s active roster. Sam was drafted by the St. Louis Rams, signed to the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad and played one game in the CFL. He now coaches football overseas.
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It’s hard to remember someone in the public eye coming out and saying they regret doing so years later. Nassib’s sentiment is the recurring one in the LGBTQ community. The level of liberation it conjures to free yourself from living in the dark and stop portraying a different version of yourself publicly is incredible.
No gay NFL players have come put publicly since Carl Nassib
Despite these positives, no other athlete has come out while in one of the four major men’s leagues in the United States in the five years since Nassib did. Why?
This is such a complex topic and one that presents no concrete answer, because each LGBTQ person has different reasons for wanting to come out or stay in the closet. Especially in pro sports in the United States, there are limitless factors contributing to LGBTQ freedoms.
An athlete’s personal journey. Agents. The players unions. The locker room. Religion. The media.
The NFL has a great record of donating to LGBTQ causes and advocating for LGBTQ freedoms. But at the heart of the issue, it’s up to each athlete to accept themselves and decide how much they want to share with the world, regardless of the social or political climate we’re living in.
Nassib played six seasons in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, and two stints with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He dated Danish swimmer Soren Dahl shortly after coming out in 2023, and his relationships since then are unknown.
Nassib has been active in donating to The Trevor Project throughout his career since coming out. He donated $100,000 to the organization in 2021, and he thanked Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank for donating to the cause as well back in April.
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