PSU's James Franklin Shows Support for Carl Nassib, Will Donate to Trevor Project

Carl Nassib's former college coach is standing with the defensive end following the Las Vegas Raider publicly coming out as gay Monday.

In a statement of support for Nassib, Penn State head coach James Franklin praised the one-time Nittany Lion for his strength, courage and generosity as the 28-year-old became the first active player in the NFL to announce he's gay.

Nassib's video announcement included the revelation that the NFL veteran donated $100,000 to The Trevor Project, which provides suicide prevention and crisis intervention for LGBTQ youth across the world.

Franklin announced he and his wife, Fumi, will donate $10,000 to The Trevor Project as well after being inspired by Nassib's actions.

"[Nassib's] generosity and advocacy for The Trevor Project is yet another shining example of his huge heart," Franklin wrote. "He has inspired Fumi and I to donate $10,000 to The Trevor Project as well. Carl's brave announcement will forge a path for others to be true to their authentic self."

Nassib went from a walk-on at PSU in 2011 to a consensus All-American in 2015. The Cleveland Browns drafted him with the No. 65 overall pick in 2016, and he's since gone on to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before joining Las Vegas in 2020.

His announcement has been met with an outpouring of support both across the league and within the NFL offices itself.

In a post on Instagram following up on his video, Nassib explained he was drawn to The Trevor Project after learning about their mission as well as the fact that LGBTQ youth are five times more likely than straight youth to consider suicide. He also cited studies that say it takes one accepting adult to decrease the risk of an LGBTQ youth attempting suicide by 40 percent.

Franklin quickly followed his former player's lead.