University of Missouri defensive lineman Michael Sam has become the first openly gay man in the NFL!! Sam came out in February, in a moving and refreshingly open and honest interview with ESPN. There was a lot of talk then and now about whether the NFL was ready for an openly gay player, and the NFL Draft was already six rounds down before anyone came for Sam. At the end of the day, the St. Louis Rams were the brave ones who decided to hire Sam:
Cheers to Michael Sam! The St. Louis Rams drafted the football player on Saturday, May 10, officially making him the first openly gay player in NFL history.
“Thank you to the St. Louis Rams and the whole city of St. Louis,” the 24-year-old tweeted shortly after news broke. “I’m using every ounce [sic] of this to achieve greatness!!”
Sam was the 249th pick on the final day of the NFL draft. Last February, the Missouri All-American defensive lineman came out as gay during an interview with ESPN.
“I am an openly, proud gay man,” he said. “It’s a big deal. No one has done this before. And it’s kind of a nervous process, but I know what I want to be…I want to be a football player in the NFL.”
Earlier this week, Sam told Robin Roberts on Good Morning America that he was ready for any team willing to give him a chance. “Where I go, it doesn’t matter,” he said on May 7. “As long as I get to play and I put a jersey on my back, it’s just awesome. I’m going to be proud of wherever I go.”
Getting drafted is just the first of many accomplishments for Sam. Up next, the athlete will be receiving the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPY Awards in July.
I’m so happy for him! I love that he’s receiving the Arthur Ashe Courage Award as well – he’s so deserving. What was also very interesting to me is that Michael is making it clear from Day One that he’s not going to go back in the closet for the NFL – he allwed ESPN to film him as he was drafted, and his boyfriend was at his side the entire time. They were holding hands, and they kissed twice on camera. Just after he was drafted, he retweeted a lovely photo of he and his boyfriend kissing. His boyfriend, Vito, has lots of coupled-up photos on his Twitter too (I’m including some of the photos below). Pres. Obama also sent his congratulations via a statement:
The President congratulates Michael Sam, the Rams and the NFL for taking an important step forward today in our Nation’s journey. From the playing field to the corporate boardroom, LGBT Americans prove everyday that you should be judged by what you do and not who you are.
Unfortunately, there’s already one wrinkle – after Michael Sam kissed his boyfriend live on camera, a Miami Dophin named Don Jones tweeted out “OMG” and “horrible”. The Dolphins’ GM issued a statement about Jones’ tweets right away, so at least that’s something.
Photos courtesy of Twitter, Getty.
Yayyyyyyyy go on!!!!!
I’m very happy, and this is great news, but he’s getting just a little bit too much of a spotlight. He was picked in the SEVENTH round, which isn’t really anything to write home about. All I really care about is how good of a player he is, and I’m really not that impressed so far. Again, wonderful news…and he deserves this spotlight, I just hope he doesn’t get full blown articles every time he plays just because he’s the first nfl gay.
I agree. The guy is a great standard bearer, and I applaud his standing up for who he is, and hope he inspires many others. But he appears to be a mediocre football player. I don’t think the 7th round was an inappropriate place for him.
You know who else was picked SEVENTH ROUND without ever playing a quarter in college? Tom Brady.. Where you’re picked in the draft means next to nothing. JaMarcus Russell went first round, hell first pick and was a hold out for more money, you know what he’s doing now? Hoping for a comeback cause he never panned out.
Michael Sam won Defensive Player of the Year in the SEC, which is known for it’s defense. He is already better than “mediocre football player” and don’t you think that this kid will work even harder to prove himself? I have a feeling he will.
He was the voted the top defensive player in the best conference in college football, which included the guy was the top overall pick in the draft. Sam’s issue is that he’s a “tweener” by NFL standards. Too small to play defensive line but not quick enough to be an outside linebacker. All physical traits aside, the guy finds a way to get it done on the field.
He was ‘co’ defensive player of the year in the SEC, thanks to a couple of good games. But now he’s in the NFL, where he’s too small for a defensive end, too slow to be a linebacker, and has a terrible vertical jump. Really, I hope he does well, but the tea leaves don’t suggest it. Great symbol, mediocre player.
@Blue Marie: Brady went in the 6th, not the 7th. Brady is most definitely the exception, not the rule. Where you are picked means a lot. Sure there are busts, like Russell, but more often than not the 1st 2nd and 3rd rounders will last a lot longer in the NFL than the 4th 5th and 6th rounders.
Sam is going to play in situations and on special teams and he will do well in those roles because the guy doesn’t quit. He isn’t big enough or athletic enough to be an every down defensive player in the NFL. And he was always projected to be a 5th or 6th rounder, prior to his announcement.
I figured he would always go to the Rams or the Chiefs given that he played in Missouri, and over the last couple of years his sexuality was an “open secret” with the media in the area, so the publicity won’t be AS crazy as it would’ve been on one of the coasts. The midwest is just less intrusive.
Good luck to him.
Whoops, off by a round (my apologies) but I knew it was up there. I think the exceptions are becoming more of a rule though. Yeah the first few rounds produce but so do the end rounds AND unrestricted free agents. To write someone off simply because they went 7th round is asinine. Few of the players drafted are ever ready to start outright, and some great players in college never translate to the NFL. It’s a gamble no matter when they are drafted or picked up.
Agree with most everybody here, it is going to be tough for him to be extremely successful because of his size. He could have a long career, but I don’t think he will be an every-down kind of player. But, I wish him the best. Sometimes, hard work can outdo God given talents.
@Dutch the only reason he won defensive player of the year over Clowney (#1 draft pick) is because Clowney had such an amazing year prior, he was double/triple teamed just about every down. Teams game planned around Clowney, whereas Michael Sam came out of nowhere this last season. I’m a big college football fan, can you tell? 😉
It’s possible Michael Sam could carve out a decent NFL career on special teams or as a situational pass rusher. If he hopes to succeed at this level he’ll need to put the media interviews and PDAs behind him and focus only on football.
Um hello. Haven’t you guys ever seen Jerry Macguire? 🙂
He has an uphill battle to crack the roster for sure.
The Rams have one of the top defensive lines in football with great depth. He’ll need to stand out on special teams to make it.
He could end up on their practice squad and get the chance to develop under some of the best in the nfl today.
Uphill battle but not impossible. The patriots drafted a seventh round quarterback in Julian Edelman who is now one of our top wide receivers. Heck Wes Welker was undrafted.
If he flashes but isn’t able to crack the roster, another team may pick him up. I’m certainly a bit worried about my patriots d line. Lots of injury questions, most guys are still not 100%
Brady is an exception, not a rule.
I don’t care who Michael Sam kissed after he was drafted, and yay for him being drafted, even in the seventh round. However, College awards mean very little. He may have been given the Defensive Player of the Year, but Tim Tebow won the Heisman as a Sophomore, and was nominated Junior and Senior year, and still his NFL career was somewhat of a failure. There are many great college players who bombed in the NFL. It doesn’t mean that it will happen to him, but if it does, I don’t think it will have anything to do with him being gay.
Fantastic news. So happy for him.
Good for him, happy to hear it.
I’m very happy for him, I hope he does well in his career.
I just read a really great article in the Boston Globe about how ESPN and the NFL Network never considered censoring or cutting any filmed material from when Sam found out. They said they’d been filming draftees kissing their girlfriends for years and while they recognized the cultural significance of Sam kissing his boyfriend, they had no plans of ever changing their policy on filming the big event. It really warmed my skeptical heart to read. I also read that Jones was suspended and fined for his tweets. And that he issued an apology (whether he meant it or not, who knows).
I read the same.
I’m annoyed by people defending Jones.
He has every right to not agree with homosexuality. But his tweets represent his employer and the dolphins obviously disagree. Keep your mouth shut on social media if you don’t like it.
I’m very happy for Sam and hope he can perform well in the NFL. He has an uphill battle given the already strong and deep defensive line of the Rams. Might make the practice squad and get a chance to learn under some great players
Cute couple, I hope he has a long and successful career in the NFL
Congrats! Also, what a cutie couple.
Gosh, they are really cute!
So cute. And good for him. It’s a shame showing affection with a significant other is still a big deal if you’re gay, but good for him for being brave.
Agree.
He and his boyfriend are such a cute couple I can’t even stand it! SO CUTE!!
I hope that he succeeds in the NFL. My husband was explaining to me yesterday that the reason Sam was drafted so late is he’s considered under-sized for his position in the NFL. If he can bulk up a bit and succeed I think that would be really great. He seems like a genuinely good person, and humility & decency are always refreshing to see in professional sports.
I hope he has a long and successful career ahead of him. I got tears in my eyes when I saw him crying and laughing and kissing his bf. I am glad they shared the moment, because I honestly believe that the more people see someone like Michael, the less fear there will be for athletes (and non-athletes) to just live their lives and love the person they want. As for the player who tweeted “Horrible”-I hope one day he changes his mind.” Horrible” is the kidnapping of hundreds of Nigerian girls, or cancer, or the death of a family member. “Horrible” is NOT seeing someone be affectionate with a loved one. Okay, done with my rant.
It was good rant.
yayyyyyy!!!! hopefully he comes in and kicks ass.
just like many POC in a career in the spotlight we often have to be “better” to get equal treatment.
i feel that this will be the same for sam; he needs to come in guns blazing cause he is the 1st (public gay man) in the NFL and sets the precedent.
also, yayyyy for him having a hot as balls boyfriend.
Good for him, hope he kicks butt for the Rams!
Congrats!! I don’t know who he is (nt American, so I end up not knowing most players in basefall, football and all typical american sports) but I wish him all the happiness in the world and that his team mates actually don’t play the idiots… hopefully!! 🙂
They are such an adorable couple this is the first time I’ve Ever cared about the NFL draft
I’m happy for him. I hope he finds his place in the team and proves all the in-betweener talk wrong.
I’m happy for the St Louis Rams too. They will have picked him for his on-field abilities but it’s also sent a message. The Dolphins sent one too which they needed to after all the fun they had recently.
I am very happy for him! Cute couple
I love love love this. Love that this is getting so much attention, the more people see it the more it will become our new normal and people will hopefully start to be less hateful, and stop fighting against equal rights! Love that Michael wasn’t afraid to be himself, that definitely took courage to face the NFL, hopefully he will have a great career.
It doesn’t matter how he does in the NFL.He had the courage to be the first and to crack open the door for those who come after him.How did the first Black player in the NFL do? Who even knows his name but he opened the door for all the other Black players that followed.
Maybe the Gay players already in the league will come out and unite with him.
I live in STL and I am stoked for the season to start. I think he is going to bulk up and be fine. Whohoo!!!!
As for Don Jones, do you really what to get on a horse of morality right now. This is what is horrible. Not hazing teammates to the point of abuse. Putting rookies in debt for covering tens of thousand of dollars on meals and trips to Vegas. Someone kissing their SO is what is horrible. Gotcha.
I am happy for him with that being said. I still can’t figure out why it is anyone’s business about another persons sexuality. We shouldn’t care who grown men and women choose to have sexual relations with. As long as everyone is consenting adults they can lick, stick, poke, ram, rub or just cuddle with whomever they choose. I refuse to judge anyone based on sexuality (unless they are hurting kids or animals then they are POS). Just my thoughts on it though.
I wish everyone felt the same way as you. :\ But we’re getting there. Baby steps…
Congratulations!
Now can I be trifling for just a minute? Have you seen the abs on his boyfriend?!? Good googly moogly they are a hot couple!!
Vito, his boyfriend,was a Mizzou swimmer who publicly came out in 2011.
Sometime a skillful player, who wants if more, regardless of their size and speed, can do very well. Because they know their physical limitations, they work hard on areas they know they can improve. It’s not football, but one of the reasons Michael Jordan is one of the greatest basketball players is because he worked so hard on skills – it wasn’t all natural talent and physicality.
Yay! Im so pleased for him! I was starting to worry he wouldn’t get drafted and that would have been terrible. Although I don’t follow football at all, maybe I’ll pay some attention now. And I agree–Sam and his boyfriend are both adorable, and they make an adorable couple.
People can go ahead and say they “don’t agree” with being gay, but it is what it is. And it’s existed since humans have existed.
Do you say you “don’t agree” with the Law of Gravity? Fine, go ahead. But it won’t have any impact at all.
They’re a beautiful couple! Michael has the cutest child like smile, and the love between them seems so genuine by the way they look at each other and are affectionate with each other. Love is love, and this is a beautiful thing. 🙂 All the best to them both!
P.S. And to all the hideous creatures crawling out from under their rocks to show their bigotry off to the world by saying how disgusted they are by seeing Michael kissing his boyfriend in public, please go die before you infect anyone else with your evilness.
The Rams?! I love it!!! LOLs