LAS VEGAS (AP) 鈥� Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib described the electric atmosphere inside a frenzied Allegiant Stadium with one word: 鈥淏ananas.鈥�
But of the 61,756 rabid fans in attendance for 鈥淢onday Night Football,鈥� one just happened to be a non-football fan.
Andrew Erazos, a 60-year-old server at a local steakhouse, is a Carl Nassib-fan.
And when Nassib came out publicly as gay on Instagram in June, Erazos was moved so much he bought Nassib鈥檚 jersey and couldn鈥檛 wait to attend a game.
Erazos got more than he bargained for with a wild conclusion to Week 1 of the NFL season, as Nassib鈥檚 strip-sack on Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson came at a critical time in overtime and helped the Raiders to a 33-27 win in overtime.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 amazing, that鈥檚 a great story, I love that. I wish I could鈥檝e seen (him),鈥� Nassib said. 鈥淚t was really special, I鈥檓 really happy that we got the win on the day that kind of made a little bit of history, which is like really nice to do.鈥�
History, as in the first regular-season NFL game with an openly gay player on the field. Nassib, who is in his second season with the Raiders, is the first active NFL player to come out as gay.
More than a dozen NFL players have come out as gay once their careers were over. Former University of Missouri defensive star Michael Sam was the first openly gay football player ever selected in the NFL Draft, when he was taken in the seventh round by the Rams in 2014. But he never made the final roster and retired in 2015 having never played in an NFL regular-season game.
Nassib finished with three tackles, including the monumental sack that helped the Raiders earn their third-straight season-opening win.
鈥淚t was awesome, Carl works super hard,鈥� Las Vegas defensive end Maxx Crosby said. 鈥淵ou see that. It鈥檚 the biggest play of the game. He comes out, gets a strip sack, that鈥檚 what we talk about all the time. We鈥檙e super proud of him. Carl鈥檚 a baller and I鈥檓 proud of the guy.鈥�
With Baltimore facing a third-and-seven, Nassib sacked Jackson, causing a fumble that was recovered by defensive tackle Darius Philon, and handed the ball to the Raiders at the Ravens 27-yard-line.
鈥淚 should have had two hands on the ball and could have taken a sack,鈥� Jackson said. 鈥淚t happens.鈥�
Three plays later, Las Vegas quarterback Derek Carr dropped back and floated a pass from the 43-yard-line to a wide open Zay Jones, who caught the ball at the 5-yard line and waltzed in for a walk-off win.
鈥淥ur defense made a signature play at the end of that game,鈥� Raiders coach Jon Gruden said. 鈥淭hey love football, they play for each other. We were down 14-0 to the Ravens and it didn鈥檛 look pretty, it didn鈥檛 look good. But when you can come back and find a way to win against a team like that, that鈥檚 saying something. That鈥檚 an impressive victory.鈥�
Said Nassib: 鈥淚鈥檝e played in a lot of games, now this is my sixth year, I try to make sure I really remember every single game. I won鈥檛 forget this one.鈥�
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W.g. Ramirez, The Associated Press
