Gay football player in the nfl

The jersey of West Chester native Carl Nassib is now on display at the Smithsonian'sNational Museum of American History, honoring his achievement as the first openly gay player to appear in an NFL regular-season game.

The Malvern Prep alum made the announcement while appearing on The Pivot Podcast, hosted by former NFL stars Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder on May 6.

The jersey on display is Nassib's No. 94 Las Vegas Raiders jersey from the team's 2021 season opener against the Baltimore Ravens — the first game he played after publicly coming out as gay in a social media display in June 2021.

In that game, he made a critical strip sack on Lamar Jackson in overtime that helped lead the Raiders to a 33-27 victory. The jersey has been on display since May 21.

"They reached out to me last year and said they wanted to add it to the collection. I said, absolutely. This is huge," Nassib said on the podcast. "I treasure museums. I like history. I affectionate football. I cherish the gays."

During the podcast, Nassib credited his late uncle, who was also gay and passed away from cancer, for inspiring him to share his truth.

"When I came out to him, he said, 'This is the biggest wei

Carl Nassib, first openly gay player to play in NFL games, announces his retirement

Edge rusher Carl Nassib, the NFL’s first openly lgbtq+ player to engage in a regular-season game, announced his retirement on Wednesday.

Nassib came out in 2021 while with the Las Vegas Raiders. He spent last season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“This is a bittersweet moment for me but after seven seasons and just over 100 NFL games I am officially retiring from football to focus on my company Rayze,” Nassib wrote on Instagram. “It really feels like just yesterday starting out as a walk-on at Penn State.

“Football has given me more than I ever could have imagined. I can truly hang up my helmet for the last time knowing I gave it everything I had," he added.

"Growing up I loved how fun football was. I loved the pursuit of perfection. I loved the small window where every player has to run after their dreams. It makes it all the more invigorating if you acquire there. It was always my hope to play in the NFL, even as a walk-on, and I really feel like the luckiest guy on the planet.”

The 30-year-old Nassib, a third-round pick by the Browns in 2016, had 25 1/2 sacks in seven seasons with Cleveland, Las Vegas

Carl Nassib became the first openly gay active NFL player in 2021. A few years later, his historic announcement is entity immortalized in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

Nassib's No. 94 Oakland Raiders jersey is being displayed at the museum in its "Entertainment Nation" show. While Nassib's jersey was first put up May 21, the NFL tweeted about the honor Wednesday.

The jersey is the one worn by Nassib during the team's Week 1 game against the Baltimore Ravens in 2021. It was the first jersey worn by Nassib after he came out as gay.

Nassib initially revealed the Smithsonian news during an appearance on "The Pivot" podcast — hosted by former NFL player Ryan Clark — in May. During that interview, Nassib talked about his uncle, who served as an inspiration for Nassib to come out as gay.

Nassib spoke to the Washington Post about his jersey being displayed in the Smithsonian, saying it was "really vital that gay stories get told and remembered."

Nassib's announcement was met with support around the league. The Raiders, Nassib's former college coach and his former teammate

"I'm the happiest and healthiest I've ever been in my life and that means the world to me."

Over the course of the NFL's 103-year history, only a handful of players have ever appear out as gay. In a sport where many players feel that their career could be at risk if they came out, it takes a lot of courage to authentically live their correctness. In fact, it wasn't until 2021 that an active player actually opened up about his sexuality. But thanks to the bravery of all the players who have decided to share their story so far, there's wish that the NFL will be a more inclusive place going forward.

Find out which football stars possess come out as gay…

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1. Carl Nassib

Carl Nassib, who currently plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is the first active NFL player to reach out as gay. In an Instagram video joint in June 2021, Carl opened up about his sexuality and expressed his gratitude for the help he'd been given so far from his teammates and coaches.

"I just wanted to take a immediate moment to say that I'm gay," he said. "I've been meaning to do this for a while now but finall