When West Chester native, former Penn State star and Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib announced that he was gay, thus becoming the first active player to be out, there was overwhelming support shared throughout the NFL community. Days later, that same enthusiasm was on display, with Nassib's jersey selling more than any other.
A week later, the league posted a video that shows their embrace of the LGBTQ community.
The video was made with the intention of sending "a strong message of acceptance from the league to fans and players" and was a "direct response" to Nassib's announcement (via Outsports).
"I am proud of the clear message this spot sends to the NFL's LGBTQ+ fans: This game is unquestionably for you," NFL diversity director Sam Rapoport said. "I will be playing its first line (Football is gay) over and over in my head all season."
The title of the video on the official NFL.com page speaks the message: "Football is for everyone." And while there have been gay players in the NFL prior to Nassib's coming out — including, for instance, Ryan O'Callaghan as well as others, like a teammate of Bills legend Bruce Smith — the goings-on of the past week have been major.
This week also brought major recognition of the Trevor Project, mentioned in the video and the recipient of $100,000 donations from both Nassib and the NFL.
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