Carl Nassib’s groundbreaking coming-out moment in 2021 wasn’t just a win for LGBTQ+ athletes—it was also the birth of one of the most hilarious stories in NFL history. In a recently resurfaced podcast clip, Nassib shared the perfect pre-coming-out moment that gave him the confidence to go public. Spoiler: it involved a “gay ass bootleg” and a team of NFL linemen coming for him in the best way possible.
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The Bootleg That Made Him Go “Oh, They’re Ready!”
Picture this: it’s 2020, and Nassib is playing for the Las Vegas Raiders against his old team, the Cleveland Browns. The Browns’ offense, apparently with a vendetta against him, keeps running bootleg plays to the other side of the field. Nassib, determined to chase the ball like a dog chasing a tennis ball, finds himself sprinting back and forth like his life depends on it. Frustrated, he yells out, “Stop the gay ass bootlegs!”
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@thepivot Carl Nassib Tells A Funny Story About Gay Acceptance In The NFL #nfl #fyp #foryou #lasvegasraiders #clevelandbrowns #tampabaybuccaneers #pennstate #alabama #lgbtq
And what happens next? Well, it’s pure comedy gold.
The Epic Retort: “You Can’t Say That!”
As if out of nowhere, the entire Cleveland Browns offensive line turns in unison and fires back, “You can’t say that!” Talk about a plot twist. Here’s Nassib, not yet out, dropping “gay” as a joke, only to have five 300-pound NFL players come for him with the kind of authority only an O-line can deliver.
But for Nassib, this wasn’t just a moment of embarrassment—it was a moment of realization. “I was like, ‘Oh man, the league is ready for this! You know what I mean? They are ready for me! Like, we got some allies here!’”
And that’s how he knew. His allies weren’t just the quiet ones off the field—they were right there, shouting at him in the middle of a game. Oh, and did we mention this all happened while he was about to come out? Talk about the universe giving you a sign.
The Irony of Being Called Out (Before Coming Out)
Let’s talk about irony for a second. The guy who was about to come out as gay, who had spent years hiding his true self, was the one using “gay” as a joke. And just like that, he got called out by five massive dudes in stereo. Nassib wasn’t just laughed at—he was shut down for using “gay” in a way that’s, well, not exactly supportive. But hey, it was all in good fun, and Nassib wasn’t about to let it slide.
“I was ignorant with my own comments,” he admits with a grin. “But stop running boots!” It’s that mix of humor, self-awareness, and a little bit of sass that made this whole moment so perfect.
Breaking Barriers, One Bootleg at a Time
This story isn’t just about breaking down barriers in the NFL—it’s about the subtle, hilarious ways that change happens when you least expect it. In that moment, Nassib realized that his teammates weren’t just going to accept him—they were already standing up for him, even before he came out. It’s these little moments of humor and camaraderie that make Nassib’s story feel so relatable.
Carl Nassib: A Legacy That’s More Than Football
So, let’s all remember Carl Nassib next time someone tries to throw “gay” around as an insult. Sometimes, the best allies are the ones who stop the “gay ass bootlegs” and turn your awkward moment into a badge of honor.
From being drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2016 to playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Las Vegas Raiders, Nassib’s career has been anything but ordinary. In 2021, he became the first active NFL player to come out as gay. He rejoined the Buccaneers for the 2022 season before retiring in 2023. Whether he was breaking records or cracking jokes, Nassib showed us all that you can be unapologetically yourself—even if you’re yelling, “Stop the gay ass bootlegs!” mid-game.