Raiders president: 'We're very proud' of Carl Nassib
Add Las Vegas Raiders team president Marc Badain to the growing list of individuals who have verbally supported defensive end Carl Nassib since Nassib made history Monday by becoming the first active NFL player to come out as openly gay.
"Well look, as an organization, we’re very proud of him," Badain explained Tuesday, per Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. "The organization has always sort of been built on a progressive mentality. Mr. [Al] Davis started that when he was with the team and some of the things he did with throughout the years in the 60s and 70s. And Mark has really continued that. And I think you can look at Mark’s words for how the organization feels. His first reaction was a genuine one — it’s 2021 and we’re still making a big deal out of this. But we really shouldn’t. I know it is. I know it will remain and we’ll look forward to the day when it’s not. The organization is fully behind him and very supportive and proud of what he did yesterday.
"Mark’s father used to say, 'What makes a man different is what makes him great.' And you heard coach Gruden echo those comments yesterday. That’s what our organization was built on and will continue to be."
Also on Monday, Nassib announced he was donating $100,000 to The Trevor Project, an organization that works to prevent suicides among LGBTQ youths. The NFL has since confirmed it's matching that pledge.
Nassib has had the NFL's top-selling jersey across the Fanatics network since Monday afternoon.
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