Tag: Carl Nassib

Carl Nassib coming out as gay is testament to acceptance, support on Raiders

Raiders DE Carl Nassib is testament to spirit of acceptance

Make no mistake, what Carl Nassib did the other day was incredibly courageous. On Monday, the veteran NFL defensive end came out as a gay man, becoming the first active NFL player to do so.

Nassib opened his statement mentioned that he had agonized for 15 years about making this announcement.

It took several baby steps over many years to get to this point. First from several former NFL players coming out as gay, then with Michael Sam becoming the first-ever openly gay man drafted into the NFL.

Getting to this point takes not just courage, but support. As Nassib said early in his announcement that he would not have been able to do this without the support of his coaches and teammates. That starts with his head coach, Jon Gruden who put out a statement of support following Nassib’s announcement.

“I learned a long time ago what makes a man different is what makes him great.” said Gruden. Some wise words. What’s interesting is how you could absolutely imagine Al Davis saying these words.

In Gruden’s first stint with the Raiders, he was the head coach under the league’s only ever female CEO Amy Trask. For an owner and organization that had previously hired the first-ever Hispanic head coach and first-ever African American head coach. And Al Davis has always embraced individuality in his players. The Raiders won three Super Bowls with that philosophy.

Gruden himself was the youngest head coach in NFL history when he was hired. All a testament to simply hiring the best person for the job, regardless of things like race, gender, age, or otherwise.

Back in 2018 — the first year of Gruden’s second stint as Raiders head coach — he took a chance on a Ravens practice squad tight end who had struggled with drug addiction throughout his career. The Raiders signed Darren Waller late in the season and that offseason, Gruden had enough faith on Waller to name him the starter. Now two years later, Waller is one of the best tight ends in the league.

Since the day Waller arrived, he made it his mission to be completely open about his struggles with substance abuse and mental health — areas the league and its players have long treated with shame and embarrassment.

Waller started his own foundation to help those who struggle as he has in the hopes more will seek help and trying to erase the stigma. He is a true success story and a hero to many.

Joining Waller with the Raiders this offseason was Solomon Thomas, who is a longtime mental health advocate.

Thomas was one of the first of Nassib’s Raiders teammates to offer his public support, saying “Proud of you brother!”

 

NFL players and organizations from across the league have come out in support of Nassib, including the likes of the Broncos and Chargers because some things are bigger than rivalries.

It’s a beautiful thing to behold. But no amount of kind words from outside players and teams would be enough if Nassib didn’t feel like the players on his own team embraced his sexuality and his decision to make it public.

The relic grumblings that such an announcement would be a ‘distraction’ and ‘divide the locker room’ are still real. It takes a strong enough players to be on the right side of this to drown out that noise and not normalize the stigma.

If you want to talk ‘distraction’, how about the distraction is must have been for Nassib all these years juggling that secret while trying to focus on football? Look at what Waller was able to accomplish once he was freed from his shame over addiction?

While Nassib is hoping his courage to be an openly gay NFL player will save lives. That’s what The Trevor Project is about and why he promotes it. But he also notes that he’s just one man. There are undoubtedly many others in the NFL who currently struggle with going public with their homosexuality.

With Nassib’s courage and the support he receives from his Raiders coaches and teammates, perhaps this can be a model for other NFL players to come out. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time the Raiders played a key role in breaking barriers and setting a new precedent of inclusion.

Let’s help Nassib and the Raiders remove this stigma. Not just for NFL players, but especially for young people who may be struggling with it. To find out more about how you can help, head over to The Trevor Project.

[vertical-gallery id=81452]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Michael Sam praises Carl Nassib for becoming the NFL’s first openly gay player

Michael Sam is very aware of the strength required to do what Carl Nassib did.

Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib took a courageous step Monday. He became the first active NFL player to come out as gay, and, for the most part, the announcement was met with rousing support and respect. It was a monumental moment for the league and, hopefully, a sign of growth.

“I actually hope that one day videos like this and the whole coming out process are just not necessary,” Nassib said in his announcement. The league has a ways to go before getting to that point, but the reaction to Nassib’s announcement was a far cry from what we saw in 2014 when Michael Sam came out months before the NFL Draft, which fueled the awful take machine for months.

Sam’s NFL career never got off the ground — him being openly gay almost certainly played a role in that — and he was not able to appear in a regular-season game, preventing him from becoming the first active openly gay player in league history, but his courage helped to pave the way for Nassib.

On Tuesday morning, a gracious Sam took to Twitter to congratulate Nassib on coming out…

Sam, the 2013 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, dropped to the sixth round in the 2014 NFL Draft after getting Day 2 buzz before he came out. And after a good showing in preseason with the Rams and a brief stint on the Cowboys practice squad, Sam was out of the league. His margin for error was so thin and might help to explain why players, especially those fighting for a roster spot, are so hesitant to come out.

Hopefully, the league has evolved over the last seven years and Nassib, a quality role player at an important position, can continue his career without having to deal with the obstacles Sam faced for reasons that had nothing to do with his ability to play football.

[mm-video type=video id=01f8ry000n3tn9dqkt8y playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01f8ry000n3tn9dqkt8y/01f8ry000n3tn9dqkt8y-f21798477ba8a2c1fcd041479fb9d2bb.jpg]

Giants’ Saquon Barkley shows his support for Raiders’ Carl Nassib

New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley showed his support for Las Vegas Raiders DE Carl Nassib, who came out as gay on Monday.

On Monday, Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib came out as the NFL’s first-ever active gay player with an announcement on Instagram.

“What’s up people?” Nassib said. “I’m at my house here in West Chester, Pennsylvania. I just want to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay. I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now, but I finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my chest. I really have the best life, I’ve got the best family, friends and job a guy could ask for.

[listicle id=670190]

“I’m a pretty private person so I hope you guys know that I’m really not doing this for attention. I just think that representation and visibility are so important. I actually hope that like one day, videos like this and the whole coming-out process are just not necessary. But until then, I’m going to do my best and do my part to cultivate a culture that’s accepting, that’s compassionate and I’m going to start by donating $100,000 to the Trevor Project.”

Nassib, who is the brother of former New York Giants quarterback Ryan Nassib, quickly received a wave of support across social media and the NFL.

“Representation matters,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “We share his hope that someday soon statements like his will no longer be newsworthy as we march toward full equality for the LGBTQ+ community. We wish Carl the best of luck this coming season.”

Giants running back Saquon Barkley also took to Twitter to show his support for Nassib.

Former Missouri linebacker Michael Sam became the first-ever gay player drafted into the NFL back in 2014, but he was cut by the Rams at the end of training camp and never played a regular-season game.

[lawrence-related id=670510,670491,670493]

Carl Nassib is a hero

Carl Nassib’s courageous announcement is going to save lives.

This is the online version of our morning newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning. 

Las Vegas Raiders defensive lineman Carl Nassib made NFL history on Monday when he became the first active player to come out as gay.

He was quickly – and beautifully – showered with love and support from current and former NFL players, members of the media, football fans, and human beings who just have lots of love in their hearts.

Nassib also instantly became a hero because his message and courage could very well help so many people and save so many lives.

What Nassib did on Monday was incredible and was rightly celebrated in the moment but it’s something that is likely going to have an huge impact on society for years to come.

Speaking of years, he had this to say in his announcement:

“Right now, I am sitting in a moment of gratitude and relief. Sadly, I have agonized over this moment for the last 15 years. Only until recently, thanks to my family and friends, especially Connor, Cason, and Francis, did it seem possible for me to say publicly and proudly that I’m gay.”

I can’t begin to imagine how he felt during those 15 years but I have to believe he woke up today with a huge weight lifted off his shoulders and that must feel so damn good.

Nassib took things to an even more special level when he announced that he will be donating $100,000 to The Trevor Project, which provides suicide prevention services to the LGBTQ community. Nassib mentioned a study that shows that LGBTQ kids are five times more likely to consider suicide than their straight friends. The work that The Trevor Project does is so important and is now more well known thanks to Nassib.

“Studies have shown that all it takes is one accepting adult to decrease the risk of an LGBTQ kid attempting suicide by 40%,” Nassib said. “Whether you’re a friend, a parent, a coach, or a teammate – you can be that person.”

Those are some incredibly powerful words by a great man whose selfless bravery makes him someone we should all look up to.

Congrats to you, Carl Nassib. We’re all very happy for you.

Quick hits: Which uninterested team had Brady cursing them?… Orlando Magic troll the Sixers… deGrom passes MLB test… And more. 

(AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

– Tom Brady is on an upcoming episode of HBO’s The Shop and in a teaser for it he was seen dissing some team that didn’t want him when he was a free agent. Steven Ruiz tries to figure out who that team might have been.

– The Orlando Magic seemed to troll the Philadelphia 76ers with a tweet about Markelle Fultz and NBA fans loved it.

– Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom was relieved to see he passed MLB’s first check for foreign substances after he pitched a scoreless first inning.

– Dave Chappelle singing Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ with the Foo Fighters at MSG is pretty great.

[mm-video type=video id=01f8ry000n3tn9dqkt8y playlist_id=01f09p3bf720d8rg02 player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01f8ry000n3tn9dqkt8y/01f8ry000n3tn9dqkt8y-f21798477ba8a2c1fcd041479fb9d2bb.jpg]

Carl Nassib receives praise and thanks from Michael Sam

Former Missouri Tiger and SEC Defensive Player of the Year Michael Sam offered his praise and thanks to Carl Nassib.

Fomer Penn State defensive end Carl Nassib announced to the world on Monday that he is gay. In doing so, Nassib became the first active openly gay player in NFL history, and he has been receiving plenty of praise and support for his courage to come out from every possible angle. With support coming from Penn State head coach James Franklin and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Nassib has blazed a new trail for all in the LGBTQ community. And on Tuesday morning, Nassib received public praise from Michael Sam.

Sam, the former Missouri Tiger and SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2013, took to Twitter to lend his support for Nassib, thanking him for doing what he is doing with his announcement and support for The Trevor Project.

In 2014, following his collegiate career with the Missouri Tigers, Sam announced that he is gay prior to the NFL draft. The St. Louis Rams selected Sam in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL draft, making Sam the first openly gay player to be drafted by an NFL team. However, Sam was cut by the Rams at the end of training camp just before the start of the 2014 NFL season. Sam has never played a game in the league.

Sam did sign with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League and became the first active openly gay player in the CFL in 2015. Sam stepped away from professional football in August 2015 due to mental health reasons. Today, Sam is an author and motivational speaker.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

[vertical-gallery id=3927]

[listicle id=3662]

[lawrence-related id=3923,3904,3895]

James Franklin issues statement of support for Carl Nassib

Penn State head coach James Franklin announced he and his wife will donate to The Trevor Project in support of Carl Nassib.

[mm-video type=video id=01f8ry000n3tn9dqkt8y playlist_id=01ey902ehrs6e9bvhw player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01f8ry000n3tn9dqkt8y/01f8ry000n3tn9dqkt8y-f21798477ba8a2c1fcd041479fb9d2bb.jpg]

Penn State head coach James Franklin has been and continues to be a big supporter of former Nittany Lions defensive end Carl Nassib. On Monday, Nassib announced to the world that he is gay. Franklin was among the many to quickly throw his support behind Nassib with a statement of his own.

Here is the full statement from Franklin, shared via Penn State’s football media relations department on Monday evening;

I am very proud of Carl for his courage and voice. This announcement doesn’t surprise me because if you know Carl, you know his strength. Carl’s story continues to add chapters which will have an impact well beyond the field of play.

His care and love for those around him, particularly those in need, has always been obvious. His generosity and advocacy for The Trevor Project is yet another shining example of his huge heart. 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. I was proud of Carl when he led the nation in sacks, but I’m even more proud of him now.

Nassib is the NFL’s first active openly gay player in league history. Nassib also made a $100,000 donation to The Trevor Project, an organization focused on providing suicide prevention services to those in the LGBT community. As noted in his statement, James Franklin and his wife, Fumi, have decided to contribute to the cause as well.

Nassib led college football in sacks with 15.5 sacks during the 2015 season. He was named a consensus All-American, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and First-team All-Big Ten as a result of his terrific season. Nassib also remains the only player in Penn State history to win the Lott IMPACT Trophy.

Nassib went on to be a third-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns. After two seasons in Cleveland, Nassib was waived by the Browns in early September 2018 and picked up a day later by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the Bucs in 2018, Nassib recorded a career-high 6.5 sacks and 12 tackles for a loss.

Nassib signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in March 2020 with a three-year contract.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

[vertical-gallery id=3817]

[listicle id=3768]

[lawrence-related id=3904,3764,3906,3895,3891]

The NFL world showed the Raiders’ Carl Nassib support after he came out as gay

The football world has come together to support Carl Nassib.

Las Vegas Raiders defensive lineman Carl Nassib became the first active NFL player to come out as gay on Monday, making history and inspiring many after speaking his truth to the world.

In his Instagram post making the announcement, Nassib stated that he made this decision in part because representation and visibility is important. “I’ve been meaning to do this for awhile now, but I finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my chest,” Nassib said.

Since Nassib’s message — and his announcement that he was donating money to The Trevor Project — support from all over the sports world has been pouring in for the defensive lineman. Even NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell released a statement in support of Nassib.

Here is just a taste of some of the support shown to Nassib and his important milestone announcement, from NFL players past and present, to media, and more.

Former Penn State DE Carl Nassib becomes NFL’s first active openly gay player

History was made on Monday, and it was done by a former Penn State football player. Former Penn State defensive end Carl Nassib, now a member of the Las Vegas Raiders in the NFL, took to his Instagram account to announce he is gay. Nassib is the …

History was made on Monday, and it was done by a former Penn State football player. Former Penn State defensive end Carl Nassib, now a member of the Las Vegas Raiders in the NFL, took to his Instagram account to announce he is gay. Nassib is the first active openly gay player in the NFL.

“I have agonized over this moment for the last 15 years, ” Nassib said in a written statement posted to his Instagram account on Monday. “Only until recently, thanks to my family and friends, especially Connor, Cason, and Francis, did it seem possible for me to say publicly and proudly that I’m gay.”

Nassib shared a video message on his Instagram account as well to make his announcement and to say he is donating $100,000 to The Trevor Project, an organization focused on providing suicide prevention services to members of the LGBTQ community.

“I feel an immense responsibility to help in any way I can,” Nassib said in his video message.

Nassib was a standout defensive end at Penn State, earning consensus All-American in 2015. Nassib is also Penn State’s only Lott IMPACT Trophy winner in program history. He also earned First-team All-Big Ten honors and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year during the 2015 season.

Nassib went on to be a third-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns. After two seasons in Cleveland, Nassib was waived by the Browns in early September 2018 and picked up a day later by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the Bucs in 2018, Nassib recorded a career-high 6.5 sacks and 12 tackles for a loss.

Nassib signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in March 2020 with a three-year contract.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

 

Raiders DL Carl Nassib becomes first active openly gay NFL player

Carl Nassib took a brave step in his life.

Raiders defensive lineman Carl Nassib made history on Monday evening, coming out as the first active NFL player to come out as gay. On his personal Instagram page, Nassib posted a message stating that he was coming out.

“Hey everyone, happy Pride Month.” Nassib wrote. “Right now, I am sitting in a moment of gratitude and relief. Sadly, I have agonized over this moment for the last 15 years. Only until recently, thanks to my family and friends, especially Connor, Cason, and Francis, did it seem possible for me to say publicly and proudly that I’m gay. I am also incredibly thankful for the NFL, my coaches, and fellow players for their support. I would not have been able to do this without them. From the jump, I was greeted with the utmost respect and attendance.”

Not did Nassib show his bravery with this announcement, he paid it forward with a donation to the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention organzation for LGTBQ youth.

The Raiders showed Nassib’s announcement some love on Twitter, saying that they were proud of him and sharing his comments from Instagram.

Nassib’s moment creates a notable, important landmark in NFL history. There have been other players to come out, perhaps most famously former University of Missouri and St. Louis Rams defensive lineman Michael Sam, but Nassib is the first while being a member of a team’s active roster. (Unless the Raiders cut him for some odd reason, which would result in a heavy dead cap penalty.)

Nassib was previously a star on HBO’s Hard Knocks series, cracking funny lines as a rambunctious member of Hue Jackson’s woeful Browns teams, but now he’s creating a legacy that will expand much further. Hopefully, this is a sign that football culture is becoming more accepting of their gay and nonbinary teammates moving forward.

Raiders by the numbers in Week 4 vs. Bills

Raiders Wire looks at the analytics and stats from Week 4 against the Buffalo Bills.

Another week and another loss as the Las Vegas Raiders lost their second-straight game to the Buffalo Bills, 30-23. The game was close throughout, but the Raiders couldn’t hang in the second half committing too many turnovers.

What numbers stood out this week? Let us take a look:

Raiders’ offensive line struggles continue

It seems to be a reoccurring theme every week, but the Raiders continue to struggle with pressure. But this time, it was from the other side of the line with the offensive line having their QB under duress for most of this game. The injuries are starting to pile up, and it’s displaying in the pressure numbers.

According to Pro Football Focus, the offensive line gave up 16 pressures, which is the highest on the season. In the last three games, the Raiders have given up a 32% pressure rate, which is the 11th-biggest total percentage in the NFL. Denzell Good and Gabe Jackson have struggled while Kolton Miller is the only steady cog on the offensive line.

With the offensive line looked at as a position of strength going into the season, it is an area they have to fix fast if they want to succeed. The run blocking is an issue as well, with them not opening holes for Jacobs, forcing him to create with a bad hip on his own. The offensive line must get it together.

QB Derek Carr had the fifth-best QBR of Week 4

There has been a ton of speculation about whether Derek Carr is playing well enough for the Raiders to win. It is an answer that differs depending on who you ask. But according to ESPN’s QBR metric, Carr is off to the best start of his career.

Carr’s QBR against the Bills Week 4 was 89.8, meaning he almost played a perfect game. His QBR on the season is 77.1 and ranked seventh overall according to ESPN. QBR is a win probability metric that combines EPA, and all quarterback plays. Yes, ESPN says that Carr, this season, is giving the Raiders a 77% chance to win every week.

It’s hard for fans to digest or even old school thinkers about how the quarterback is measured. The mindset is if a quarterback is losing, he can’t have a good game. That’s where a metric like QBR that doesn’t have garbage time is beneficial, but Carr has to win to calm down a fan base that is tired of losing.

DE Carl Nassib making the most of his snaps

Carl Nassib got a big contract this offseason to come in and help the Raiders pass rush. While they have not had the best success so far, Nassib has done his job on limited snaps. His numbers rushing the passer were better than expected from the first watch.

Just last week, Nassib had a pressure rate of 22%, according to Sports Info Solutions. He did this on nine pass rushes ending up with two pressures on the day. He is the highest-ranked player in pressure rate on the season at 13%, which means he is making the most of his opportunities. He is also the only player in the top 30 in pro football focus pass-rush productivity metric, coming in at 8.5.

Nassib deserves more snaps on third down than he is getting right now as a pass-rush specialist. He is doing exactly what Mayock and the company paid him to do, which is rush the passer. The Raiders are one of the worst teams in the league in this area and have to put the best players on the field to maximize their potential.

[vertical-gallery id=74472]

[lawrence-newsletter]