Carl Nassib

Carl Nassib is a former American football outside linebacker who played in the NFL for seven seasons, notably as a captain for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Before entering the professional league, he played college football for the Pennsylvania State Nittany Lions, where he transitioned from a walk-on to earning unanimous All-American honors as a senior in 2015. Nassib was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2016 Draft and had subsequent tenures with the Las Vegas Raiders and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

On June 21, 2021, Nassib publicly announced his identity as gay, making him the first openly gay active player in the National Football League’s 103-year history, a distinction he held alone as of 2023. His coming out included a significant $100,000 donation to the Trevor Project (matched by the NFL), an organization committed to crisis intervention and suicide prevention among LGBTQ youth. The announcement was received with widespread support across the football community and beyond, and on the day of his announcement, merchandise with his name became the top seller among all NFL players at Fanatics. Nassib's actions have made him a prominent LGBTQ activist and advocate for financial literacy, furthering discussions on these important issues within and outside the sports sector.

After being inspired by his volunteering experiences, Nassib founded and became the CEO of Rayze in July 2022, the first volunteer-based social media platform aimed at connecting nonprofits with volunteers to address the declining trend of philanthropic involvement in the U.S. Rayze seeks to empower users to convert their social influence into tangible social impact, supporting a variety of causes. Nassib's ongoing commitment to philanthropy and community engagement is further evidenced by his appearances and discussions on platforms like "Good Morning America" and "Yahoo! Finance," as well as his participation in discussions at notable institutions such as the Smithsonian and Villanova. Through these platforms, he continues to champion both his personal story and his broader humanitarian and advocacy efforts.