Former Missouri defensive lineman Michael Sam, the 2013 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, will enter the NFL as the league’s first openly gay player.
Sam was interviewed Sunday by the New York Times and ESPN. He told the media entities he came out of the closet and told his teammates “I’m gay” earlier during the 2013 season.
This was the first time Sam has spoken publicly about his sexual orientation.
Sam does not project as a first-round pick in our 2014 NFL Mock Drafts, but he’s the ninth-ranked defensive end and the 90th-ranked player overall on NFLDraftScout.com’s big board.
In other words, he will be drafted by someone and he will become the first openly gay player in the NFL, barring any other revelations between now and the time he’s drafted and signs his contract.
Sam told the Times he believed that rumors about his sexual orientation were circulating and decided to get ahead of the press.
“I just want to make sure I could tell my story the way I want to tell it,” Sam said. “I just want to own my truth.”
“We admire Michael Sam’s honesty and courage. Michael is a football player,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said. “Any player with ability and determination can succeed in the NFL. We look forward to welcoming and supporting Michael Sam in 2014.”
Information from CBS News, The New York Times and ESPN contributed to this report.
