‘GAVE IT EVERYTHING I HAD’

Carl Nassib, First Openly Gay NFL Player, Retires After 7-Year Career

The outside linebacker and former captain of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers called himself “the luckiest guy on the planet.”

Carl Nassib, the outside linebacker who two years ago became the first athlete in the NFL’s history to publicly come out as gay, announced his retirement from the league on Wednesday, calling it “a bittersweet moment” in an Instagram post. After seven seasons and just over 100 games, he wrote, “I am officially retiring from football to focus on my company Rayze,” an app that links donors to nonprofits. “I can truly hang up my helmet for the last time knowing I gave it everything I had,” Nassib said. “Growing up I loved how fun football was. I loved the pursuit of perfection. I loved the small window where every player has to chase their dreams. It makes it all the more exciting if you get there. It was always my dream to play in the NFL, even as a walk-on, and I really feel like the luckiest guy on the planet.” The 30-year-old told People that both he and the league are interested in maintaining ties. “Maintaining that relationship shows that the NFL is continuing to support me,” he said. “They’ve supported me so much over the last two years, and I really couldn’t have done it without that support.”