Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib has taken a pioneering step for the NFL and for male athletes generally, by becoming the first active NFL player to come out as gay.
Nassib took to his Instagram to post a video in which he said he: "Just wanted 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, the best family, friends and job a guy could ask for.
"I'm a pretty private person so I hope that 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 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 to cultivate a culture that's accepting and compassionate."
He went on to confirm that he would also be donating £100,000 to a suicide prevention service for LGBTQ+ youth in America, the Trevor Project.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell stated: "The NFL family is proud of Carl for courageously sharing his truth today. Representation matters.
"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."
Last year former Hull City academy player, Thomas Beattie, became the first male English footballer, since Justin Fashunu, to publicly state that he is gay.
PFA SUPPORT
The PFA recognises that to publicly come out as gay would be a life-changing decision for any current player.
We are here to offer our full support to any member who may be considering making this decision and have outlined a framework of how we can assist.
For more information about the support we can offer click here.
