Carl Nassib recognized as trailblazer at NFL Honors show

Carl Nassib of the Las Vegas Raiders was recognized at Thursday’s NFL Honors show for being the first player in league history to come out as gay while an active player.

The six-minute segment hosted by NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood near the site of Super Bowl LVI featured scenes from a video about Nassib and his influence on other LGBTQ people in sports. Irvin said how Nassib’s coming out had “an impact that’s impossible to measure.

After the video, four of those featured in it took to the stage for brief remarks about Nassib’s impact: former Patriots and Chiefs offensive lineman Ryan O’Callaghan; former college defensive back Avery Saffold; Illinois high school football player Jake Streder and Casey Pick, Senior Fellow for Advocacy and Government Affairs at The Trevor Project.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott were among those shown on the broadcast applauding the recognition of Nassib, who was not in attendance.

Nassib’s Raiders finished the season 10-7 and made the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and he turned in a solid year as a defensive lineman.