Carl Nassib became the first openly gay player ever to play in an NFL game Monday night ... and then he came up big for his squad -- helping the Raiders win with a huge sack in overtime!!
Lining up for the first time in a regular season game since opening up publicly about his sexuality in June ... Nassib was all over the field during Las Vegas' win over the Ravens on "Monday Night Football."
He logged three tackles and was disruptive throughout the evening -- but in the game's overtime period, he made a monster play to help lead the Raiders to a victory.
This defensive line... All heart.
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) September 14, 2021
Carl Nassib's forced fumble puts us back in business. Live on @espn pic.twitter.com/kG1gLqxMeT
As the Ravens were attempting to drive down the field for a game-winning score ... Nassib sacked Lamar Jackson, forcing a fumble.
The Raiders were able to recover the ball ... and just a few snaps later, Derek Carr sealed it with a 31-yard touchdown pass.
The game winner. #RaiderNation@derekcarrQB @zayjones11 pic.twitter.com/KxrOUnxrKR
— NFL (@NFL) September 14, 2021
Afterward, Nassib was pumped to get the win ... telling reporters, "It was really special."
"I'm really happy that we got the win on the day that kind of made a little bit of history which was really nice to do," Nassib added.
A reporter also informed the 28-year-old that a fan had worn his jersey and was attending an NFL game for the first time in order to support Nassib after his announcement.
And, Carl was stoked over the anecdote -- saying, "That's amazing. That's a great story. I love that."
Nassib and the undefeated Raiders are set to take the field next on Sunday against the Steelers in Pittsburgh.