Out Gay NFL Player Carl Nassib Takes Time Off After Coach’s Homophobia Exposed

Out Gay NFL Player Carl Nassib Takes Time Off After Coach’s Homophobia Exposed
Image: Carl Nassib. Image: Instagram

Out gay NFL player Carl Nassib has taken a leave of absence after the head coach of his football team was forced to resign due to his past homophobic, racist and sexist emails being exposed.

Las Vegas Raiders general manager Mike Mayock, said during a press conference that Nassib will be excused from participating in team activities to process the recent events that have happened at the club.

““[Nassib] requested a personal day today. He just said he’s got a lot to process. There’s a lot that’s been going on the last few days, and of course, we support that request,” Maycock said.

This past June, Nassib came out as gay on Instagram making him the first out gay player in the NFL.

“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,” Nassib said in the video.

“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.” 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Carl Nassib (@carlnassib)

Players, Team Support Nassib

Nassib has not made any public comments about taking time off.

Fellow teammate Darren Waller, who plays tight end for the Raiders said he supports Nassib’s decision to take time off.

“Nobody should be able to tell him how to feel. Nobody should be able to tell him how to grieve, and he deserves to take time for himself because that’s a lot to process,” Waller said. 

The Raiders general manager also said that he had accepted Raiders’ former coach Jon Gruden’s resignation following his email controversy. 

Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times had published articles detailing the use of racist, homophobic, and misogynistic terms by Joe Gruden in emails he sent, reportedly dating back to 2010.

The now former Raiders coach allegedly used homophobic and misogynistic terms to describe NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. In a 2011 email,  he used a racial trope to describe NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith.

The report revealed that in emails, Gruden had called NFL commissioner Roger Goodell a “faggot” and a “clueless anti football pussy”. During the 2014 NFL draft, St Louis Rams selected Michael Sam, who is gay. Goodell complained that the team’s head coach had been pressured to draft “queers”.

I Am Not A Racist, Claims Coach

Jon Gruden

Days after these emails were exposed Gruden resigned from his role as head coach and issued an apology following the Raiders’ loss to the Chicago Bears.

“All I can say is that I’m not a racist,” Gruden said. “I can’t tell you how sick I am. I apologize again to De Smith, but I feel good about who I am and what I’ve done my entire life. I apologize for the insensitive remarks. I had no racial intentions with those remarks at all. But… yes, they can… I’m not like that at all. I apologize but I don’t want to keep addressing it.”

“I can’t remember a lot of the things that transpired 10 or 12 years ago, but I stand here in front of everybody apologizing. I don’t have an ounce of racism in me. I’m a guy that takes pride in leading people together, and I will continue to do that for the rest of my life. Again, I apologize to De Smith and anybody out there that I have offended.”

Gruden had originally signed a 10-year deal with the Raiders and was in his fourth year as coach prior to resigning.

 

If you feel distressed reading the story, you can reach out to support services.

For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14

For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.

 

 

 

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2 responses to “Out Gay NFL Player Carl Nassib Takes Time Off After Coach’s Homophobia Exposed”

  1. “This past June, Nassib came out as gay on Instagram making him the first out gay player in the NFL.”

    WRONG! Michael Sam was the first openly gay player to be drafted by an NFL team … in 2014! Y’all just keep “breaking” the same barriers year after year, huh? What a joke!

  2. How fragile are you that you can’t do your job because someone doesn’t agree with your life choices? Obviously this is just a faked opportunity to catch the spotlight, but if I didn’t know any better I’d say he’s being a drama queen. Either way, the guy is pathetic!