Former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jeff Rohrer said Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib could change the world after becoming the first active openly gay NFL player.
Rohrer would know. He played in the NFL from 1982 to 1989, and in 2018, he came out as gay when he became what was believed to be the first former or current NFL player to enter into a same-sex marriage.
"He has no idea how many people he’s affecting – in a good way," Rohrer said. "The NFL needed this, to get past the milestone. In the long run, the world we live in needs more guys like (Nassib) who are open and brave. It really does help for anyone in the country who is currently closeted or faces homophobia."
Sarah Kate Ellis, CEO of the advocacy organization GLADD, said Nassib's journey will "not only have a profound impact on the future of LGBTQ visibility and acceptance in sports, but send a strong message to so many LGBTQ people, especially youth."
Yet the biggest foreseeable challenge for Nassib, 28, could be his own world that is about to change – becoming a beacon of hope for closeted athletes everywhere – and managing the national spotlight that comes with his sexual orientation being front and center.
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