Michael Sam Is The First Openly Gay Football Player Drafted Into The NFL (VIDEO) | HuffPost Sports

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.

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

“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.

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

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. 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.

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

One such example clus David Kopay, who was a former NFL athlete back the 1970s who me out as gay.

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

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.

MICHAEL SAM COULD BEE THE FIRST OPENLY GAY NFL PLAYER EVER

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.

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.

OBAMA NGRATULAT MICHAEL SAM, FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER DRAFTED BY 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. Former NBA player Jason Colls announced last April he is gay, followg John Amaechi's announcement 2007.

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

“I don’t do the gays, man, ” Culliver said last year, days before his team played the Super Bowl.

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

No, we don’t got no gay people on the team; they got to get up out of here if they do.

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

”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.