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.
• CARL NASSIB IS THE FIRST ACTIVE NFL PLAYER TO COME OUT AS GAY
• MEET STT FRANTZ, AN OPENLY GAY NFL DRAFT PROSPECT WH A CHANCE TO MAKE HISTORY
• MICHAEL SAM (RAMS, PICK NO. 249) IS FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER DRAFTED
• RAIRS’ CARL NASSIB OUT AS GAY, THE FIRST ACTIVE NFL PLAYER TO DO SO
• MICHAEL SAM, FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER, RETIR FOR MENTAL HEALTH REASONS
• GAY FLAG FOOTBALL PLAYERS ANNOUNCE CARDALS' THIRD-ROUND DRAFT PICK
• ARIZONA CARDALS SELECT GAY FOOTBALL PLAYER TO ANNOUNCE 3RD ROUND NFL DRAFT PICK

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. -- Jaguars assistant strength and ndng ach Kev Maxen has bee the first male ach major Amerin men's profsnal sports to publicly e out as gay, tellg he ma the cisn bee he didn't want to hi who he is any longer and to possibly spire others siar suatns.It's a cisn and move that drew praise and support om owner Shad Khan, who was a vol and emphatic supporter of a cy ordance that expand protectns on the grounds of sexual orientatn, genr inty and genr exprsn."I don't want to feel like I have to thk about anymore," Maxen said the piece published Thursday afternoon.

CARL NASSIB IS THE FIRST ACTIVE NFL PLAYER TO COME OUT AS GAY

Outsi lebacker Carl Nassib beme the first active NFL player to e out as gay and to play a game 2021.The Associated Prs ntributed to this report. Carl Nassib Is The First Active NFL Player To Come Out As Gay "I jt want to take a quick moment to say that I'm gay, " he said an Instagram vio.

Rairs fensive end Carl Nassib said on Monday that he would not have been able to publicly e out as gay whout the support of the NFL and his teammat.

" "I jt want to take a quick moment to say that I'm gay, " Nassib said an Instagram vio he posted on his verified Instagram acunt. " Nassib is by no means the first gay football player the NFL, but he is the first openly gay active player the league to play the regular season.

MEET STT FRANTZ, AN OPENLY GAY NFL DRAFT PROSPECT WH A CHANCE TO MAKE HISTORY

Michael Sam me out as gay followg his succsful llege reer and before the 2014 NFL draft, makg him the first publicly gay player to be drafted the NFL.

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

Frantz uld eventually be the first openly gay man to play an NFL regular-season game.

In 2014, former Missouri fensive end Michael Sam beme the first openly gay player to be drafted, landg wh the Rams as a seventh-round pick, but he was cut by the team before the regular season. Frantz, a sophomore at the time, was "sred" and "nervo" about revealg his sexual orientatn, but those feelgs fad when he saw how the group reacted. That terview wh Rowe marked the first time Frantz spoke publicly about beg gay.

He had known he was gay sce the fifth gra, but he didn't tell anyone close to him prr to the 2016 meetg. 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.

RAIRS’ CARL NASSIB OUT AS GAY, THE FIRST ACTIVE NFL PLAYER TO DO SO

Hearg the #NFLDraft is beg shown at gay bars everywhere. Clearly teams are worried about the fact a gay player terrifi them... Carl Nassib #94 of the Las Vegas Rairs celebrat a 31-26 w over the Los Angel Chargers at SoFi Stadium on November 08, 2020 Inglewood, How | Getty ImagLas Vegas Rairs fensive leman Carl Nassib announced on Monday that he is gay, beg the first player on an active Natnal Football League roster to e out.

"I jt wanted to take a quick moment to say that I'm gay, " Nassib said an Instagram post.

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

We wish Carl the bt of luck this g season, " NFL Commissner Roger Gooll said a 2014, Michael Sam beme the first openly gay player to be selected the NFL draft when the St. Sam was cut jt before the regular season Colls, who is now retired, beme the first active openly gay NBA player 2013. 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. The Arizona Cards selected a member of the Natnal Gay Flag Football League to announce their 3rd draft pick.

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

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.

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

Jodie Turner, Sam Lehman, Shigeo Iwamiya at Lumen Field Seattle where Gay Bowl 2023 will be hosted.

"In May 2021, the Arizona Cardals were a big sponsor for Gay Bowl Tempe. 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.

Prevly he had played the New York Gay Flag Football League.