West Chester native and history-making NFL player Carl Nassib has been honored by the Smithsonian Museum of American History, writes Joe Kozlowski for Newsweek.
In 2021, Nassib became the first NFL player to publicly come out as gay through an Instagram video filmed at his West Chester home.
Now, his Las Vegas Raiders jersey will be on display at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.
Nassib earned three national awards while playing college football for Penn State before being drafted into the NFL.
He had privately come out to close friends and family prior to his public post. The news had been met with widespread support, with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and former President Joe Biden both wishing Nassib congratulations.
At the time of his coming out, Nassib also made a public donation to the Trevor Project, a nonprofit focusing on suicide prevention within the LGBTQ+ community. He has since joined the Trevor Project’s board of directors.
Of his upcoming display at the Smithsonian, he thanked the museum for honoring a diverse range of athletes across history, stating, “The Smithsonian is doing a good job of curating good stories that speak to all different walks of life in America…I do really appreciate the Smithsonian standing by that mission, telling stories that matter.”
Read more about Carl Nassib and his recent honor by the Smithsonian Museum in Newsweek.
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