Carl Nassib, NFL's first openly gay active player, retires
Sept. 6 (UPI) -- Veteran pass rusher Carl Nassib, the NFL's first openly gay active player, will retire after seven seasons, he announced Wednesday on Instagram.
"This is a bittersweet moment for me, but after seven seasons and just over 100 NFL games I am officially retiring from football to focus on my company Rayze [an app that connects people and nonprofits]," Nassib wrote.
"It really feels like just yesterday starting out as a walk-on at Penn State. Football has given me more than I ever could have imagined. I can truly hang up my helmet for the last time knowing I gave it everything I had."
Nassib, 30, entered the league as a third-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. He spent his first two seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Nassib played three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020 and 2021.
Nassib totaled 23 combined tackles and 3.5 sacks in 13 games last season for the Buccaneers. He logged 187 combined tackles and 25.5 sacks in 99 regular-season appearances. He totaled five combined tackles in two playoff games.
"Growing up I loved how fun football was," Nassib wrote. "I loved the pursuit of perfection. I loved the small window where every player has to chase their dreams. It makes it all the more exciting if you get there. It was always my dream to play in the NFL, even as a walk-on, and I really feel like the luckiest guy on the planet."
Nassib came out as gay -- in a public forum -- in 2021. On Wednesday, he thanked friends, family, teammates, coaches, front office personnel, God and others, including agent Brian Ayrault, for their support.
"Brian was the first person in the football industry I came out to and he didn't blink," Nassib wrote. "He encouraged and motivated me to follow through with my announcement and to make as big of an impact as I possibly could."
