⚡ Get All Content for 20% Off ⚡

First Openly Gay Active NFL Player Grosses Top-Selling NFL Jersey Raiders Defensive End Carl Nassib's jersey was the top-selling NFL jersey the past two days.

By Emily Rella

entrepreneur daily
Ethan Miller | Getty Images

NFL player Carl Nassib made headlines this week when he was the first active NFL player to publicly come out as gay, receiving an astounding outpouring of support among everyone from his teammates to President Joe Biden.

The Las Vegas Raider's defensive end made his decision to come out during Pride month via a video he posted to his Instagram account on Monday.

"I just want to take a quick moment to say that I'm gay," Nassib said to his followers on the platform. "I'm a pretty private person, so I hope you guys know I'm not doing this for attention, but I think representation matters."

During the clip, the pro athlete also said that he would be donating $100,000 to the Trevor Project, an nonprofit aimed towards suicide prevention among young LGBTQ community members, encouraging viewers to donate and learn more about the organization as well.

Nassib's post was genuine and well received — and it reflected in sales of his game day garb.

ESPN's Adam Schefter announced via Twitter that on Monday and Tuesday, Nassib's jersey was the top-selling NFL Jersey on sportswear giant Fanatics' website.

Though sizes appeared to be restocked by late Wednesday afternoon, it was reported that multiple sizes had sold out earlier in the week, directly after Nassib's announcement.

ESPN confirmed the report with Fanatics.

"So nice to see society has changed," one user responded to Schefter's announcement. "This would have so many hate comments even just 2 years ago."

"Love seeing the support for Carl Nassib," said another. "Well done!"

Carl Nassib was the 65th pick overall in the 2016 NFL Drafter where he signed with the Browns. He's since gone on to play for the Buccaneers starting in 2018 before ultimately signing with he Raiders in March 2020.

Emily Rella

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

The Remote Side Hustle a 43-Year-Old Musician Works on for 1 Hour a Day Earns Nearly $3,000 a Month: 'All From the Comfort of Home'

Sam Ziegler wanted to supplement his income as a professional drummer — then his tech skills and desire to help people came together.

Marketing

Ever Wonder Why Certain Websites Rank Higher Than Yours? This SEO Expert Reveals The Secret to Dominating Search Results

It's often the smart use of SEO, now supercharged with AI, particularly in keyword optimization.

Business News

AI Is Impacting Jobs. Here Are the Gigs Affected the Most, According to an Analysis of 5 Million Upwork Postings

The researcher said in the report that freelance jobs were analyzed first because that market will likely see AI's immediate impact.

Franchise

The Top Franchise Brands Growing Globally

While our main Fastest-Growing Franchises list focuses on North American growth, more and more brands are looking to grow worldwide. These are the 25 that had the greatest franchise growth outside the U.S. and Canada from July 2022 to July 2023.