College Football Player Chase Leon Addresses Viral Embrace, Clarifies Sexuality in Lighthearted Response

Calm down, sports fans: Viral images of two college football players celebrating don't depict a "Brokeback Stadium" moment after all.

The images showing college football teammates Chase Leon, a holder for the South Florida Bulls, and kicker Nico Gramatica sent social media into a tailspin. One celebrated photo, captured following Gramatica’s game-winning 20-yard field goal against the Florida Gators on September 6, depicts Leon and Gramatica in a celebratory embrace, gazing into each other’s eyes. The screenshot, shared widely on X (formerly Twitter) by the account @V0LofTheWild, quickly garnered over 7.7 million views and enthusiastic reactions from LGBTQ+ sports fans and allies alike.

Fans and commentators were quick to interpret the moment as romantic, with many expressing delight at what they saw as a potential queer love story unfolding on the field. “Just a couple of dudes beating Florida. Beautiful. Keep your kickers close,” read the viral caption, fueling playful speculation and memes that circulated widely across platforms.

Amid the growing buzz, Chase Leon addressed the speculation in a manner that was both direct and light-hearted. According to reporting from Outsports, Leon clarified that he is not gay, making the announcement “in a fun way” that acknowledged the viral moment without dismissing the enthusiasm of LGBTQ+ fans. While Leon’s statement was brief, it was widely interpreted as an effort to maintain a positive tone and avoid fueling negativity or backlash.

Nico Gramatica, the other half of the viral embrace, has not issued any public comment regarding the incident at the time of publication.

The incident has reignited ongoing discussions about how public displays of affection between men in sports are perceived, particularly when filtered through the lens of LGBTQ+ representation. Social media platforms, including X and Threads, saw a surge of memes, supportive comments, and even some AI-generated fake videos purportedly showing the pair kissing—none of which were authentic.

Outlets like The Tab clarified that although some fans were fooled by doctored content, no such romantic moment occurred on the field. Nevertheless, the widespread excitement highlighted the yearning for more open expressions of queer love and camaraderie in sports, as well as the ease with which such moments can be misconstrued or misrepresented online.

For many LGBTQ+ fans, the viral photo—regardless of the actual orientation of the players—was a rare example of athletic masculinity expressed through affection rather than aggression. The enthusiastic response underscored a broader cultural shift toward acceptance and visibility, even as the realities of heteronormative assumptions persist within college sports.

The respectful and good-natured manner in which Leon addressed the attention has also been praised by some commentators as a model for how athletes can engage with LGBTQ+ fans without resorting to defensiveness or dismissiveness.

The story of Chase Leon and Nico Gramatica serves as a case study in the complexities of LGBTQ+ representation in sports. While the viral moment was ultimately a celebration of victory between teammates, the overwhelming response from queer fans is a reminder of the ongoing desire for authentic LGBTQ+ visibility in athletics.