Gay flag football players announce Cards' 3rd-round pick

Contents:

• MICHAEL SAM (RAMS, PICK NO. 249) IS FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER DRAFTED
• BEFORE CARL NASSIB, MICHAEL SAM WAS THE NFL’S FIRST OPENLY GAY DRAFT PICK. HE NEVER PLAYED A REGULAR SEASON GAME.
• ARIZONA CARDALS SELECT GAY FOOTBALL PLAYER TO ANNOUNCE 3RD ROUND NFL DRAFT PICK
• RAMS CUT MICHAEL SAM, FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER DRAFTED
• GAY FLAG FOOTBALL PLAYERS ANNOUNCE CARDALS' THIRD-ROUND DRAFT PICK
• ISAIAH GAY, OLB, ILLOIS | 2022 NFL DRAFT PROSPECT ZOOM INTERVIEW
• JAGUARS ASSISTANT KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH MAJOR MEN'S PRO SPORTS TO INTIFY AS GAY

MICHAEL SAM (RAMS, PICK NO. 249) IS FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER DRAFTED

NEW YORK -- In the leadup to the NFL Draft, former Missouri fensive end Michael Sam was one of the most well-known fensive players out there after he beme the first openly gay NFL prospect. Though he ma huge headl when he announced that he was gay the leadup to the draft, Sam was never really thought of as more than a late-round pick and/or a potential undrafted ee agent. Hearg the #NFLDraft is beg shown at gay bars everywhere.

Clearly teams are worried about the fact a gay player terrifi them... Seven years before Las Vegas Rairs fensive end Carl Nassib beme the first active NFL player to e out as gay on Monday, an all-Amerin om the Universy of Missouri risked a promisg reer wh a public claratn.

“I am an openly proud gay man, ” Michael Sam, a 24-year-old fensive end, told ESPN and the New York Tim Febary announcement followed a surprisg 12-2 season for Missouri, which won the SEC East and then the Cotton Bowl as Sam was named the SEC fensive player of the year. On Tuday, Sam thanked Nassib for jog the ranks of LGBTQ football players, payg special tribute to the donatn Nassib ma to the Trevor Project, a nonprof foced on suici Vegas Rairs fensive end Carl Nassib announced June 21 on Instagram that he is gay, makg him the first active NFL player to e out.

BEFORE CARL NASSIB, MICHAEL SAM WAS THE NFL’S FIRST OPENLY GAY DRAFT PICK. HE NEVER PLAYED A REGULAR SEASON GAME.

The NFL particular had faced cricism for allegedly askg prospects about their sexual orientatn and had been acced of hamperg players who spoke out favor of gay many profsnal athlet around the world, cludg several retired NFL players, had e out by 2014, no one who was still playg football had dared to make that move before story rurfaced on Monday when the 28-year-old Nassib, who was drafted by the Cleveland Browns 2016 and now plays for the Rairs, announced that he is gay a vio on Instagram. “Here’s the tth: Everyone ow Michael Sam such a b of gratu, ” Wa Davis, a former NFL rnerback who me out as gay 2012, told The Washgton Post on Monday.

He wasn’t the only gay man who stggled to fd a place the NFL after g retired NFL players have publicly intified as gay, begng wh Dave Kopay, who me out 1975, three years after leavg the sport.

ARIZONA CARDALS SELECT GAY FOOTBALL PLAYER TO ANNOUNCE 3RD ROUND NFL DRAFT PICK

And spe an nsistent first season as a starter, there are big expectatns for the redshirt sophomore headg to Year 2 unr ach Steve Sarkisian, who helped velop Tua Taailoa (2020) and Mac Jon (2021) to first-round 6-2, 195-pounr threw for 2, 177 yards, 15 touchdown pass and six terceptns 2022. 5 sacks as a te hman 2021, but he managed only four as a sophomore.

The third round pick of the Arizona Cardals at the 2022 NFL Draft will be announced by a gay flag football player om the Phoenix area, Outsports has learned. Joel Horton has been a member of the Phoenix Gay Flag Football League sce 2013, when he moved to the area.

RAMS CUT MICHAEL SAM, FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER DRAFTED

Prevly he had played the New York Gay Flag Football League. He has participated multiple Gay Bowls, the annual world champnship for gay flag football.

Horton is also the Gay Bowl liaison for the Natnal Gay Flag Football League. In 2021, the Cardals were a ma sponsor of the Gay Bowl Phoenix. “They wanted to make a pot that was important to them, ” Horton said of the Cardals’ volvement Gay Bowl.

Var other NFL clubs have sponsored their lol LGBTQ flag football leagu and the Gay Bowl, cludg the New England Patrts, New York Giants and Denver Brons. Horton, a Cardals (and specifilly Larry Fzgerald) fan is the first publicly out gay man we know of to announce an draft pick for an NFL anchise.

GAY FLAG FOOTBALL PLAYERS ANNOUNCE CARDALS' THIRD-ROUND DRAFT PICK

One thg we know is that Horton will not be announcg the name of a publicly out gay player as the Cardals’ pick, as there are none this year’s NFL Draft (though there are undoubtedly gay players up for grabs). Louis Rams have cut Michael Sam, the first openly gay player drafted by an NFL team. Michael Sam first openly gay player drafted to NFL.

The Arizona Cards selected a member of the Natnal Gay Flag Football League to announce their 3rd draft pick.

ISAIAH GAY, OLB, ILLOIS | 2022 NFL DRAFT PROSPECT ZOOM INTERVIEW

LAS VEGAS, NV — The Arizona Cardals helped spread a msage of clivy durg the 2022 draft this team selected members of the Natnal Gay Flag Football League (NGFFL) to announce their 3rd round pick.

The team's selectn was read by the group's reprentative Joel Horton who was joed by NGFFL Commissner Shigeo Iwamiya and Jodie Turner, who is on the NGFFL Board of has spent several years playg for the league Phoenix (PGFFL) and is currently the NGFFL's Gay Bowl liaison. "It's overwhelmg, " Horton told bee the first openly gay person to announce an NFL draft Commissner Iwamiya appld the NFL's efforts to highlight certa groups on such a large platform. Jodie Turner, Sam Lehman, Shigeo Iwamiya at Lumen Field Seattle where Gay Bowl 2023 will be hosted.

JAGUARS ASSISTANT KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH MAJOR MEN'S PRO SPORTS TO INTIFY AS GAY

"In May 2021, the Arizona Cardals were a big sponsor for Gay Bowl Tempe. Isaiah Gay is one of the most unrrated prospects the untry. In his 10 years wh the pany, Nick has led ESPN's verage of the Ners' 2019 Super Bowl n, Col Kaepernick's prott, the Rams makg Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL, Sam's subsequent pursu of a roster spot and the team's relotn and stadium saga.