Johnathan Walker:Carl Nassib, the NFL's first openly gay player, announces his retirement

Defensive end Carl Nassib,Johnathan Walker the first openly gay NFL player to take part in a regular season game, has announced his retirement from pro football.

"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," Nassib wrote in a statement.

"To anyone who has a dream of being the best, never let anyone convince you it's impossible."

Nassib, 30, played seven seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns and Las Vegas Raiders, recording 25.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and one interception.

However, he made history in the 2021 offseason when he announced in an Instagram video that he is gay.

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A standout in college at Penn State after joining the team as a freshman walk-on, Nassib led the NCAA in sacks and forced fumbles in 2015 on his way to being named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. That led to him being selected by the Browns in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft.

Nassib played two seasons with the Browns before the first of his two stints with the Buccaneers. He joined the Raiders for the 2020 season and made his announcement in June of 2021.

In his first game after coming out, Nassib forced a key fumble in a Monday Night Football game against the Baltimore Ravens, knocking the ball loose from quarterback Lamar Jackson and setting up the Raiders' game-winning touchdown.

He returned to the Buccaneers last season, playing in 13 games and making one start.

However, he said it's now time to move on to the next phase of his life, working with the nonprofit company Rayze − which bills itself as a "mobile platform that uses positive social media" to encourage people to "give back in the form of volunteering and donations."

Nassib also says he'll be working with the NFL on diversity issues and philanthropic efforts going forward.