American football fans are certainly aware of who Michael Sam is for a couple different reasons.
First, Sam was a consensus All-America at Missouri and voted the SEC defensive player of the year during his senior season. In other words, he was a terrific college player.
And BTW, Sam also happened to be the first major college football player to openly admit he was gay. This revelation came shortly after his time at Mizzou was done but before the NFL draft.
Needless to say, this was quite the proverbial bombshell and the media went berserk in their coverage of every possible angle they could think of. Everybody wanted a piece of Sam for interviews and the like and Michael was more than happy to accommodate them.
Even in today's rapidly changing social climate (on some fronts) it took a lot of guts for Sam to do what he did. After all, he aspired to be an NFL football player, and Michael couldn't know how he could or would be perceived, much less accepted in such an environment by his future peers. It was a huge gamble on his part, but he should be commended for having the courage to stand up, break new ground, and tell the world about who he really is. As they say, the truth will set you free, and kudos to Sam for having done so.
Given his accomplishments while at Mizzou, Sam was projected to be a 3rd or 4th round NFL draft pick in 2014. But during the pre-draft NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Sam didn't make a good showing. So much so that his draft stock plummeted to the point where many wondered if he would be drafted at all. On top of that, despite his athleticism, Sam was a "tweener". Not big enough to play defensive end, and not fast enough to play outside linebacker in the NFL, according to many.
His draft stock fell indeed but, finally, in the 7th round, the St. Louis Rams called his name. Sam had broken more new ground as the first openly gay player to be drafted in the NFL. This was a big deal and Sam jerseys flew off the shelves, second only to Johnny Manziel's amongst potential rookies.
Alas, the "tweener" thing finally came back to haunt him and Sam was cut at the end of training camp last year by the Rams. The media was back. More interviews, sound bytes, and Michael playing along with it all.
The Dallas Cowboys gave him a shot on their practice squad when the season started, but Sam would only last a little more than a month before being waived from Big D as well. Sam was back in the news, and evidently enjoying it.
The 2014-15 NFL season came and went and Michael Sam has yet to play a single down in a regular season game for any team.
Certainly, there are those just waiting to pounce and claim Sam's failure to stick with an NFL team is a result of his sexual orientation. But that's a tough argument to justify. After all, St. Louis didn't have to draft him and the Cowboys could have ignored him. By most all accounts, Sam is a good guy, talented football player, and a hard worker. But given the fierce competition for every position on every team in the NFL, sometimes that's not enough. Other guys are just better.
What has gone unsaid in the Michael Sam saga isn't so much that he's gay, but the media circus he willingly brings along with him every place he goes. Teams already have plenty of issues to deal with getting ready for another season. They don't need or want reporters coming out of their ears over a non-football related matter.
In this respect, Sam has been his own worst enemy. He keeps saying he just wants to work hard, play football, and fit in. But that's pretty hard to square when Sam continues to get in front of cameras every time the opportunity presents itself. And hey, aren't rookies supposed to be seen and not heard?
Just recently, Sam was signed by the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. Good for him and godspeed.
But he hasn't made that roster yet either and what did he do? Give another press conference.
[Earth to Michael. If you want to be just another guy and fit in on a football team, you might want to consider putting your head down and going to work, quietly, like every other rookie.
Further, understand that the media people don't really care about you. You're just a story of the day for them, and they'll only run with it as long as you give them a bump in their ratings. They'll throw you away like yesterday's coffee grounds when you cease being semi-interesting.
So stop being a sucker with the photo-ops and sound bytes they keep asking for and tell them no. Continuing to mouth off and draw attention to yourself is counterproductive, if not hypocritical, regarding what you have already said is your goal in life.]
Bottom line? Here's wishing Michael Sam all the best in his latest venture with the Montreal Alouettes.
But he really needs to shut up for his own good.
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