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Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib has made history today as the only active NFL player to come out as gay.
In a post on Instagram, he declared "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." Nassib continued, "I really have the best life. I've got the best family, friends, and a job a guy could ask for. I'm a pretty private person, so I hope you guys know I'm not doing this for attention. I think representation matters."
Michael Sam, who came out as gay before the 2014 NFL Draft, played in preseason but did not make it to the regular season with the Rams. Nassib's coming out marks the first time an active player is openly gay and has played in a regular season game.
Nassib also announced he will be donating $100,000 to the Trevor Project.