Before there was Carl Nassib, there was Michael Sam. In order for Nassib to walk, Michael Sam had to crawl. The Raiders defensive lineman came out in a statement posted to his Instagram account on Monday, becoming the first active player in the league to publicly identify as gay.
Las Vegas Raiders Defensive Lineman Carl Nassib Becomes First Active NFL Player To Come Out As Homosexualhttps://t.co/lgMneWo0pd
— SideAction (@SideActionHQ) June 22, 2021
Nassib’s announcement, made during Pride Month, makes him the first openly gay active player in the league’s 101-year history.
Former NFL player Michael Sam announced he was gay, but he never ended up playing in the NFL following his coming out announcement. The Rams who drafted Sam, cut him during training camp. He then landed on the Cowboys practice squad, but never ended up playing in a game.
Sam took to IG to post a message following the historic moment.
See below:
Carl Nassib thank you for owning your truth and especially your donation to the @TrevorProject. LBGTQ people are more likely to commit suicide than heterosexuals. I hope and pray people will take note to this. Thank you again Carl and look forward to seeing you play on the field.
— Michael Sam (@MichaelSam52) June 22, 2021
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He also took to IG to share a message:
Unfortunately Sam left the N.F.L. without making an impact on the field.
But his coming out definitely set the stage for Nassib.
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