Total Pro Sports
Carl Nassib became the first openly gay active NFL player.
In his announcement, Nassib emphasized the importance of representation and visibility. He also said he would donate $100,000 to The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention organization for LGBTQA+ youth.
“What’s up, people,” Nassib posted on Instagram.
“I’m at my house in West Chester, Pennsylvania. I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay. I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now, but finally feel comfortable getting it off my chest. I really have the best life, the best family, friends, and job a guy can ask for.”
Now, everyone will know his story.
Carl Nassib is having his jersey displayed at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington D.C. after becoming the first active NFL player to come out as gay and play in a game back in 2021.
Carl Nassib became the first openly gay player in NFL history to play in a regular season game in 2021.
Now, his jersey is on display at the Smithsonian to commemorate a historic moment for LGBTQ+ athletes. pic.twitter.com/bnGi9RT7Ok
— NFL (@NFL) June 4, 2025
Nassib revealed the news last month while speaking with Ryan Clark on the Pivot Podcast.
The jersey Nassib wore during his first game after coming out as gay will be on display at the Smithsonian. In that game, he helped the Raiders win over Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.
“Very excited to announce, so the jersey that I wore against the Ravens, my first game as an out player, will now be displayed at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in D.C.,” Carl Nassib said.
“They reached out to me last year. They said, ‘Hey, we would love to add this to our collection.’ I said, ‘Absolutely.’ Like, this is huge. You know, a little bit about me, I love museums, I love history, I love football and I love the gays. So this is a combination of everything. It really is.”
Carl Nassib starred at Penn State and was an All-American for the Nittany Lions and would go on to play for the Las Vegas Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, before retiring in 2023.
In June 2021, former Penn State defensive end Carl Nassib came out as gay.
Fast forward four years later, Nassib’s jersey is now on display at the Smithsonian Institute.
Here is how fans reacted:
“Imagine being commemorated not because of how well you did at your profession, but because you like cock. This is dumb,” one fan said.
Imagine being commemorated not because of how well you did at your profession, but because you like cock. This is dumb.
— EmDee (@em_dee_10) June 4, 2025
“so, just to be clear, the reason this guy is notable is because of where he prefers to put his penis. Right?” a second fan asked....
