Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib became the first active NFL player to come out as gay on Monday, which gives him the chance to be the first player in the NFL who is also gay, and not the NFL’s First Gay Player.
That’s a big distinction according to Wade Davis, himself a former NFL player who came out after his retirement and consulted with the league for four seasons (2012-2016) after former Missouri standout Michael Sam became the first openly gay player drafted into the NFL. While playing professional football Davis endured his version of what he called “heaven and hell,” a time in the league that, he says, felt like having schizophrenia.