Oakland Raiders defensive lineman and former Nittany Lions star Carl Nassib landed on Forbes’ annual “30 Under 30” list Wednesday morning.

As one of the 30 honorees in the sports division of the recognition, 28-year-old Nassib is one of two NFL athletes (joined by Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott) and the only Penn Stater. Nassib was selected thanks to his recent advocacy efforts for the LGBTQ+ community.

This June, Nassib became the first active openly gay player in the NFL by posting a coming-out video to his Instagram account. Soon after, Nassib received strong support from many NFL figures, Penn State affiliates, and fans. Nassib’s jersey even became the No. 1 best-seller on Fanatics.

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In addition to becoming a high-profile personality for the LGBTQ+ community, Nassib has become a strong contributor to related philanthropic groups as well as a public advocate. One of his most prominent charitable ties has been with The Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to combatting teenage suicide within the LGBTQ+ community. This week, in fact, he’s committed to raising public donations for the group by selecting it for his ‘My Cause, My Cleats’ charity as part of the NFL’s annual campaign.

At Penn State, Nassib put together a legendary career. Beginning as a walk-on, he eventually blossomed into a unanimous All-American and the winner of the Hendricks and Lombardi awards, earned by the college football’s best defensive end and lineman/linebacker, respectively.

Following his collegiate career’s conclusion, Nassib was drafted in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns before signing with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020.

The Forbes “30 Under 30” list is annually presented across 20 different industries as a way to identify 30 individuals under 30 years old who possess unique influence and successfully leverage it for entrepreneurial or social growth. Check out this year’s full lists here.

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