Raiders' Carl Nassib on Coming out Publicly: 'Didn't Know If It Would Ruin My Career'

Las Vegas Raiders defensive lineman Carl Nassib said that before he chose to publicly come out as gay, he was concerned doing so might adversely affect or even ruin his NFL playing career. 

"I thought about it every once in a while. Thought about how I wanted to do it. When I could do it," Nassib said on Comeback Stories with Darren Waller and Donny Starkins (20:08 mark). "I didn't know how people would react. I wanted to make sure I was financially stable before I did it. I didn't know if it would ruin my career. I didn't know if guys would be supportive or not."

Nassib added that he didn't realize he was gay until about four years ago and early in his NFL career was more worried about establishing himself in the league and ensuring he had a future in football after being cut by the Cleveland Browns in 2018, a moment that made it onto Hard Knocks.

But Nassib said he ultimately felt a responsibility to his community to come out publicly, especially since so many before him paved a way to a more inclusive and accepting society. 

"When I decided to come out, it was not easy," he added (10:55 mark). "Personally, for my life, I didn't want to do it. But I felt a huge obligation to my community, to all the young kids out there who are struggling with their sexuality. If I could help just a few of them out, then I could sleep better at night.

Nassib, 28, is now in his second season with the Raiders. After notching 2.5 sacks in 14 games with the team last year, he's posted eight tackles, 1.5 sacks and two quarterback hits in the 2021 campaign. 

He is the first active NFL player to come out.