West Chester native and Malvern Prep graduate Carl Nassib is a six-year veteran of the National Football League, where he is a defensive end and current free agent after having played for the Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Las Vegas Raiders.

Nassib — who began working when he was 14 years old, hanging flyers for a construction company — earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Penn State, where he walked on to the football team and eventually secured a scholarship and became an All-American as a senior.

“Carl has one of the best stories in college football,” Penn State coach James Franklin said in 2015. “Carl and his Penn State story are why you get into coaching — to give young people a chance to chase their dreams and do something special in the classroom and on the football field.”

Nassib was selected in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft and has appeared in 86 games, registering 22 sacks and one interception.

In the summer of 2021, Nassib stated via Instagram that he is gay, thus becoming the first active NFL player to come out publicly. His story drew international attention, and he donated $100,000 to The Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to crisis intervention and suicide prevention among LGBTQ youth. The NFL and Raiders each matched the donation.

“I was glad I could do my part to help bring visibility and representation to my community,” Nassib told NFL.com in his first press conference after his announcement.

Nassib’s story is already the subject of scholarly research, as Dr. Ted Kian, a professor of Sports Media at Oklahoma State University, published a paper — entitled “Examining Media Framing of Openly Gay NFL Player Carl Nassib” — this month in The Sport Journal.

Nassib’s favorite Chester County restaurants are Limoncello, Ryan’s Pub, and Market Street Grill in West Chester.

Nassib and the rest of the 2022 Class of VISTA Millennial Superstars will be honored at the Awards Reception & Celebration held outdoors on Tuesday, May 10 at Penn State Great Valley. The in-person event will feature food trucks, drinks, touchless registration, a VIP tent, and boundless opportunities to network. It will also be live-streamed.

Sponsors are still being sought. Click here to learn more about the various opportunities available to partner with VISTA Today as it celebrates Chester County’s next generation of leaders.