Raiders’ defensive end Carl Nassib stepped behind the podium in Friday and took questions from the media for the first time since coming out as gay last month. Meeting with the media today was another in what has been a series of steps in the right direction for the sixth-year NFL veteran.
The first big leap was the act of coming out, which the sports world seems to have embraced seemingly across the board with full support and respect for the courage it took to become the first ever active out NFL player. That went especially for his Raiders coaches and teammates which gave him the confidence to make his announcement.
“It’s been great. I knew it was going to be good. I had zero stress about that,” Nassib said of the response from his teammates and coaches. “Absolutely no worries about it, got a great locker room, great teammates, been met with nothing but love and support, it’s been incredible. Football players get a bad rap, but we’re humble, hard-working, accepting people and this was a great thing to have done.”
It obviously took a long time for Nassib to get this this point. The weight the former Penn State star edge rusher has been carrying is unimaginable for most of us. One that he carried his entire life and through every phase of his football career, including five NFL seasons.
“Yeah, it was definitely stressful growing up and being in the closet, it’s very stressful for anybody, I can speak from experience, but it’s been a great weight off my shoulders,” said Nassib. “I’ve been out to my friends and family for years at this point, so it’s been good not to have to lie when I come to work every day. It’s been good.”
NFL players talk often about how being able to remove the stigma from parts of their life can free them up to focus on football. Darren Waller was able to be a break out star after being open about his drug addiction. Solomon Thomas has made it his cause to remove the stigma of mental illness.
In that same vein, Nassib feels like he can relax and focus on football, which figures to get the best version of him, perhaps a level of player we haven’t seen, which is saying something for a player who has put up 15 sacks over the past three seasons.
It wasn’t an instant great feeling, however. It’s been a process over the past month.
“First couple days, going out, being out and being the only out player, my body felt like jelly. Very anxious,” Nassib said of the days following his announcement. “Now, it’s just, I wanted to get [the press conference] over with and I wanted to just have a lot of clarity. I feel better today, I feel better than I did yesterday and the day before that, so I’m looking forward to the future.”
Nassib said he was surprised by the big reaction his announcement had. Adding “I thought no one would care.” Well, a lot of people do care. Most importantly anyone else, especially those in sports, who might be struggling with whether or not to come out.
Those are the primary reasons it matters. But if you’re wondering if, as a sports fan, you should care, just consider what Nassib says about how much better he feels from day to day. And think about how the Raiders got the best version of Darren Waller for the same reason.
Support and acceptance are powerful things. And for that, we should all have the utmost respect for Nassib’s courage as well as be proud of the environment in the Raiders locker room that gave him the encouragement. It’s all pretty awesome to see.