The moment David Kopay waited 46 years for finally came this week, when Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib announced Monday, June 21, that he was gay, becoming the first NFL player to come out of the closet while still active on a team roster. "I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I am gay," Nassib said in a brief video on Instagram. "I've been meaning to do this for awhile now.
I finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my chest. I'm a pretty private person, I'm not doing this for attention. I just think representation and visibility are so important." Former 49ers player Kopay broke down in tears when he heard the news.