Before Carl Nassib, Michael Sam was the NFL’s first openly gay draft pick - The Washgton Post

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
• WHAT HAPPENED TO THE NFL'S FIRST ACTIVE GAY PLAYER, MICHAEL SAM?
• MISSOURI’S MICHAEL SAM ANNOUNC HE IS GAY, MAY BE FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER NFL
• MICHAEL SAM IS THE FIRST OPENLY GAY FOOTBALL PLAYER DRAFTED INTO THE NFL (VIDEO)
• MICHAEL SAM COULD BEE THE FIRST OPENLY GAY NFL PLAYER EVER
• OBAMA NGRATULAT MICHAEL SAM, FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER DRAFTED BY NFL
• MICHAEL SAM, FIRST OPENLY GAY NFL DRAFT, IS DROPPED BY RAMS
• MICHAEL SAM, FIRST OPENLY GAY NFL PLAYER, CUT OM DALLAS COWBOYS
• MICHAEL SAM, FIRST OPENLY GAY NFL DRAFT PICK, CUT BY ST. LOUIS RAMS

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. 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. 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.

MICHAEL SAM, FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER, RETIR 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. 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. One such example clus David Kopay, who was a former NFL athlete back the 1970s who me out as gay.

His story was credibly spirg to future generatns of gay football players who may have faced siar challeng on their way to stardom. One such athlete is Michael Sam, the NFL's first active gay football player. Given the lack of gay reprentatn the NFL overall and the still prent stigma surroundg diverse sexualy, this was huge for football.

As stated by The Huffgton Post, 2013, Sam me out as gay to his ach and teammat, beg the NFL's first active gay football player. Acrdg to the Advote, the Amerin Psychiatric Associatn ed to list homosexualy as a mental illns. An unknown Rams player even lled Sam a homophobic slur.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE NFL'S FIRST ACTIVE GAY PLAYER, MICHAEL SAM?

He was also lled slurs by a teammate durg his time at the Universy of Missouri as well, though he was apologized to after beg angry and takg a stand agast the homophobic language.

MISSOURI’S MICHAEL SAM ANNOUNC HE IS GAY, MAY BE FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER NFL

Reportedly, Sam is also pro football's first openly gay ach, markg another tremendo first for the athlete his reer.

The Missouri fenr and the Associated Prs’s SEC -fensive player of the year said , owned , and now stands at the ge of one of sports’ last social ontiers: beg the first openly gay NFL player. “I am an openly proud gay man, ” Sam, 24, was quoted as sayg reports posted Sunday by ESPN and the New York, a 6-foot-2, 255-pound all-Amerin, ma his announcement two weeks before the annual NFL sutg be, and early reactn Sunday eveng suggted his cisn was meant part to answer qutns he’ll face anyway Indianapolis. Some players have been outspoken about their reluctance to play alongsi a gay teammate, and others suggted publicly that they would pay no attentn to a teammate’s sexualy — as long as his play was much of the draft's attentn will center on whether Sam's announcement affects his draft stock.

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

Former NBA player Jason Colls announced last April he is gay, followg John Amaechi's announcement 2007. “I don’t do the gays, man, ” Culliver said last year, days before his team played the Super Bowl. No, we don’t got no gay people on the team; they got to get up out of here if they do.

”Chris Kluwe, a longtime NFL punter and gay rights advote, wrote last month on Deadsp that he heard equent gay slurs om a Mnota Vikgs assistant ach and believed he was cut bee of his support for same-sex marriage, though the Vikgs strongly disputed the said, acrdg to the reports, his announcement was prompted part by circulatg mors two weeks ago at the Senr Bowl, where NFL team reprentativ gather to sut players enterg the draft. The first-team All-Amerin fensive leman om the Universy of Missouri beme the first openly gay player ever drafted to the NFL when the St.

MICHAEL SAM COULD BEE THE FIRST OPENLY GAY NFL PLAYER EVER

(STORY CONTINUES BELOW)WATCH: Michael Sam Reacts To Beg Drafted By The RamsThe 24-year-old om Hchck, Texas announced that he was gay Febary terviews wh The New York Tim and ESPN. Clearly teams are worried about the fact a gay player terrifi them...

— Benny Cunngham (@BennyCunngham) May 10, 2014Sam's tone selectn the NFL draft was the latt historic moment for a gay athlete. In Febary, Brooklyn Nets center Jason Colls beme the first openly gay player NBA history. In May 2013, Los Angel Galaxy midfielr Robbie Rogers beme the first openly gay player MLS history.

In 2014, Sam uld bee the first openly gay athlete to play an NFL game. He's tackled stereotyp and jos the ranks of athletic trailblazers like Jason Colls and Brtney Grer showg Amerins that there's no place for homophobia on the field.

OBAMA NGRATULAT MICHAEL SAM, FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER DRAFTED BY NFL

As support for equaly ntu to surge, 's clear that sports fans are ready, football is ready, and Ameri is ready for s first openly gay NFL player. Related gay athlet2014 nfl draftNFL Draftsportsnfl-draft-2014Before You GoPopular the CommunyYou May Like.

On Sunday, Missouri fensive leman Michael Sam me out of the closet as a gay man. If that still happens, he will be the first openly gay NFL player the history of the league. “I’m gay, ” he said.

MICHAEL SAM, FIRST OPENLY GAY NFL DRAFT, IS DROPPED BY RAMS

Sam set himself on a path to bee the first publicly gay player the Natnal Football League. "I don't thk football is ready for [an openly gay player] jt yet, " said an NFL player personnel assistant. To ll somebody a [gay slur] is still so monplace.

It’s no surprise to anybody that the NFL isn’t exactly gay iendly. In fact, jt a few weeks ago, former NFL punter Chris Kluwe acced the NFL of droppg him for simply supportg gay rights. This is why ’s perfectly legal for those NFL employe to outwardly say that they would not draft Sam simply bee he was gay.

Sam uld bee a symbol for the untry’s gay rights movement or a flash pot a football culture war — or both. Gay Rights,.

MICHAEL SAM, FIRST OPENLY GAY NFL PLAYER, CUT OM DALLAS COWBOYS

First openly gay player drafted NFL.

He me out Febary, tellg ESPN: "I'm an openly proud gay man''.

Print Barack Obama ngratulated Michael Sam on Saturday for beg the first openly gay football player taken the Natnal Football League draft, the Whe Hoe said a statement.

MICHAEL SAM, FIRST OPENLY GAY NFL DRAFT PICK, CUT BY ST. LOUIS RAMS

“I me to tell the world I’m an openly proud gay man, ” he said an terview wh ESPN. He said he was surprised to disver many people the media already knew he was gay.

Sam’s draft was viewed as a barometer of whether the NFL was ready to accept an openly gay player. “I thk this is a good day, agast the backdrop of what has happened the NBA recently, ” Margaret Hoover, a polil mentator and gay rights activist, told CNN. Other athlet have e out as gay, but they didn’t have Sam’s profile.

Michael Sam, First Openly Gay NFL Draft, Is Dropped By Rams: The Two-Way The former Missouri fensive end was edged out a petn agast undrafted rookie Ethan Wtbrooks for a spot on St.