Michael Sam, first openly gay player, retir for mental health reasons

Contents:

• BEFORE CARL NASSIB, MICHAEL SAM WAS THE NFL’S FIRST OPENLY GAY DRAFT PICK. HE NEVER PLAYED A REGULAR SEASON GAME.
• MICHAEL SAM, FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER, RETIR FOR MENTAL HEALTH REASONS
• CARL NASSIB, THE FIRST OPENLY GAY ACTIVE NFL PLAYER, ULD BE TURNG POT FOR MALE SPORTS
• MICHAEL SAM IS THE FIRST OPENLY GAY FOOTBALL PLAYER DRAFTED INTO THE NFL (VIDEO)
• MICHAEL SAM (RAMS, PICK NO. 249) IS FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER DRAFTED
• RAMS CUT MICHAEL SAM, FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER DRAFTED
• CARL NASSIB OUT AS 1ST OPENLY GAY ACTIVE NFL PLAYER
• CARL NASSIB, FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER NFL GAME, MAK HISTORY AND STARS THRILLG LAS VEGAS RAIRS W

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

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.

MICHAEL SAM, FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER, RETIR FOR MENTAL HEALTH REASONS

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.

CARL NASSIB, THE FIRST OPENLY GAY ACTIVE NFL PLAYER, ULD BE TURNG POT FOR MALE SPORTS

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.

Carl Nassib on Monday beme the first active NFL player to e out as gay. Carl Nassib has ma history as the first active NFL player to announce that he is gay. Sam beme a trailblazer as the first openly gay athlete to be drafted by the NFL 2014.

MICHAEL SAM IS THE FIRST OPENLY GAY FOOTBALL PLAYER DRAFTED INTO THE NFL (VIDEO)

"I jt feel like bee I me out, I was the first one to do , I uld be a bean for other athlet who may be gay or may be not. Michael Sam was the first openly gay player drafted by an NFL team. He found a temporary home shortly thereafter when he signed a two-year ntract wh the Montreal Alouett 2015 and beme the first openly gay football player to play the Canadian Football League.

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

David Kopay me out as gay years after retirg om football. The board of the Amerin Psychiatric Associatn had only voted to stop classifyg homosexualy as a mental illns 1973.

But he was, by all acunts, a pneer, wh Outsports scribg him 2019 as "the most signifint gay athlete morn history. Durg an terview wh NPR 2005, Kopay spoke on the difficulti of beg a gay man the world of football. "Beg gay dividual sports is one thg, but beg gay team sports is a whole 'nother, bee...

"That's why a lot of people say, `Well, gay people wouldn't f , ' bee their inty is so different.

RAMS CUT MICHAEL SAM, FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER DRAFTED

'" Other gay football players have siarly spoken out, remarkg on the stggl of beg closeted such a hyper-mascule world.

"No one is gog to assume the big football player is gay, " he told the magaze.

CARL NASSIB OUT AS 1ST OPENLY GAY ACTIVE NFL PLAYER

Michael Sam, who 2014 beme the first openly gay player to be drafted by an NFL team, announced on Twter Friday eveng that he is walkg away om football for mental health reasons. After he failed to fd a al wh an NFL team, Sam signed wh the Montreal Alouett of the Canadian Football League, at which pot he beme the CFL's first openly gay player.

CARL NASSIB, FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER NFL GAME, MAK HISTORY AND STARS THRILLG LAS VEGAS RAIRS W

7, he beme the first openly gay player to play a regular season CFL game, though he did not register any tackl or sacks his appearanc. “I jt want to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay, ” the fensive leman for the Las Vegas Rairs said a vio posted to his Instagram acunt Monday.

And while someone g out 2021 might not feel like a big al, wh that simple statement, Nassib beme the first openly gay active player NFL that simple statement, Nassib beme the first openly gay active player NFL history.