indefinite impact

Carl Nassib shares the heartwarming conversation he had with a gay NFL fan in line at Chipotle

By · 7 comments

Heartwarming interactions can occur in the most unlikely places… such as when you’re waiting for your burrito order at Chipotle.

Carl Nassib, who tore up Las Vegas during Super Bowl week, told a story recently about one memorable conversation he had at the fast casual chain. The former NFL defensive end says he was standing in line and noticed someone staring at him from behind.

When Nassib went to pay for his order, the man approached him with a touching anecdote.

“As I’m checking out, he checks out too, and then he runs up to me. He’s like, ‘Carl, Carl!’ I’m like, ‘Yo man. What’s up?’ You know, you dap him up. He’s like, ‘Are you from here?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I am,'” said Nassib.

“He goes, ‘I came out to my mom yesterday.’ I said, ‘Man, that’s great! Congratulations!’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, I watched your video before I did it.’ And I was like, ‘Are you about to make me cry in this Chipotle right now?’ He was great. That was probably, like, the funniest place to have someone tell you a really meaningful story.”

While Chipotle may be an unusual location for a heart-to-heart convo, the interaction shows the power of Nassib’s reach. His coming out video, which he recorded in June 2021, is still impacting LGBTQ+ folx today.

Nassib made NFL history three years ago, when he became the first active player to publicly come out as gay. The football vet casually made his big announcement in his backyard.

In the video, Nassib said he had been thinking about coming out for a long time, and finally decided the time was right.

“I’m at my house in West Chester Pennsylvania. I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay,” he said. “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.”

Though Nassib’s announcement drew international headlines, he showed up to training camp that August, and carried on as usual. The defensive end appeared in 13 games and helped propel the Las Vegas Raiders to the playoffs, even as the team’s coach, Jon Gruden, was exposed for using anti-gay language in numerous emails over the years.

The following season, Nassib played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and appeared in the playoffs as well. The seven-year pro announced his retirement last September.

Nassib’s on-field success dispelled the homophobic notion that teams wouldn’t be able to win with out gay players once and for all.

Though Nassib is no longer an active player, the 30-year-old remains close to the game. He was the star of the NFL’s “Night of Pride” Super Bowl event, appearing alongside scores of other male LGBTQ+ sports figures.

Those people included other out NFL Players and coaches, such as former player RK Russell, San Francisco 49ers cheerleader Jonathan Romero and Jacksonville Jaguars associate strength coach Kevin Maxen.

Maxen told Queerty that his conversations with Nassib were invaluable pieces to his coming out journey.

Related:

NFL coach Kevin Maxen talks about making history, boyfriend life & whether or not he’s a Swiftie

The Jacksonville Jaguars associate strength coach publicly came out as gay last summer. Now, he’s sharing his story.

Nassib never played in a Super Bowl, but his impact was palpable around this year’s game. His app called Rayze, which matches users with local nonprofits, was the preferred donation platform for the league’s “Taste of the NFL” charitable event meant to combat food insecurity among children.

Last season, Nassib also appeared on the NFL’s Instagram page to promote LGBTQ+ inclusion.

Arguably the most dominant cultural voice in the country, the NFL’s reach is unparalleled. With that in mind, the league’s efforts towards supporting inclusion are important, even if there’s still a dearth of out gay players.

Since Nassib’s announcement, the NFL has partnered with The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ+ young people. In recent years, the league has introduced its first ever Pride collection, and produced a video declaring “football is gay.”

There are also multiple out execs in the NFL: Sam Rapoport, the senior director for diversity, equity and inclusion; and Christine Vicari, the senior vice president of labor finance.

Since 2017, the NFL also sponsors the National Gay Flag Football League’s annual championship tournament, the aptly titled “Gay Bowl.”

Last season, the league celebrated the NGFFL during a national broadcast, highlighting Boston’s gay LGBTQ+ flag football league over the holidays.

Undoubtedly, Nassib has helped push everything forward. As Outsports points out, It’s fair to surmise millions of LGBTQ+ people watched Super Bowl LVIII, with 123.4 million people tuning in overall (a new record).

A 2021 Census Bureau survey in 2021 found nearly 10% of respondents identifying as LGBTQ or other, meaningful there were probably around 12 million LGBTQ+ Super Bowl viewers, if we can extrapolate the percentage.

We don’t know whether the man who approached Nassib in Chipotle was one of those estimated 12 million viewers. But we do know Nassib, an NFL jock, inspired him to come out and be his true self.

That’s a Super Bowl-level accomplishment, no matter how one slices it.

Don't forget to share:

Discover more

Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...

We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?

Once Monthly Annually

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated