Bernie: Rams, Fisher did the right thing

[RamBill]

Bernie: Rams, Fisher did the right thing
• Bernie Miklasz

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_2e515704-9327-5527-be03-db04c8b1b51b.html

Say what you want about Rams coach Jeff Fisher, but no one has ever described him as weak, indecisive, timid or afraid. This coach is hardcore in his football beliefs.

Even when his teams have been short on victories, they’ve never lacked an identity. They’re tough. They’re aggressive. They’re edgy. Penalty flags fly whenever they’re around. And the stubborn, independent-minded Fisher has never worried about seeking anyone’s approval. He is comfortable in his own skin.

It should be no surprise, then, to see Fisher and his Rams step forward when none of the other 31 NFL teams had the guts to choose Mizzou pass rusher Michael Sam in the 2014 draft. We’ll talk about the football part of this landmark event later on. But to me, more than anything, this was about the Rams organization having the courage to do what’s right.

In Saturday’s seventh round the Rams gave Michael Sam a chance to prove he’s worthy of a job as an NFL player. The other 31 teams can say what they want about Sam’s relatively short height, and his relatively slow 40-yard times, or his mediocre performance in workouts.

Here’s the only fact – the only test – that matters: after 248 selections, no franchise had

bothered to grant an opportunity to an All-American defensive end, the co-SEC defensive Player of the Year and a pass-rush force that helped make Missouri one of the best defenses in the nation last year.

On the final day of the ’14 draft, in rounds four through seven, 10 defensive ends came off the board as Sam waited for a phone call that all college football players dream of receiving. Some of the defensive ends were pulled from small, even obscure, college programs such as Illinois State, Marist and Concordia-St. Paul.

Sam — despite his award-winning season in the best college football conference in the land — was still on the board, ignored. And we were supposed to believe this had nothing to do with Sam being the first openly gay player eligible for an NFL draft? To suggest otherwise is absurdly naïve.

So with the 249th pick of a 256-player draft, the Rams saved the NFL from profound embarrassment by proudly choosing Michael Sam.

As Fisher told ESPN immediately after the draft: “In the world of diversity we live in now, I’m honored to be a part of this.”

As he should be. Same with Rams’ employees and fans. The Rams didn’t have to do this. They didn’t need to pull a publicity stunt to cover a poor draft; their list of selections was receiving top grades nationally, long before the seventh round. Fisher is secure in his job; he didn’t need to score PR points.

The Rams drafted Sam for several reasons. First, they covet players who can pressure the quarterback. Second, Sam obviously represented good value for a seventh-round pick. Third, they have a strong locker-room culture that will welcome Sam as a teammate.

And fourth — even though Fisher tries to downplay this — the Rams recognized that Sam shouldn’t be excluded just because his presence on the Rams’ roster would make OTHERS uncomfortable. The people who aren’t members of the Rams’ family.

Fisher’s team drafted Michael Sam because it would have been wrong not to. This move was a wonderful reaffirmation of a strong commitment to basic fairness.

Fisher is an enlightened individual with no hang-ups. It was never a problem for Fisher to go against the grain. His locker rooms have been filled with players that come from every type of background, every kind of circumstance. That goes for players that have run afoul of the law, players that have slipped in their personal lives, players that would make other coaches nervous.

The Rams employ a few players that have police records attached in their files ... but yet Fisher would somehow draw the line at using a draft choice on an openly gay player? The very thought is laughable.

Fisher, the enlightened man, also loves winning football games.

If you can play ball, he’ll give you a chance. To that end, if Fisher didn’t think Sam had the potential to win a spot, he wouldn’t have made this pick.

And understand this about Fisher: the coach has the strength of character to cut Sam. As he enters the NFL, Sam is pretty much a one-skill player — a designated pass rusher. And if Sam can’t demonstrate a consistent ability to storm around blockers and get to the quarterback, he won’t make Fisher’s squad.

I have to believe this was a factor. How many NFL coaches were nervous about the prospect of having to cut Sam and possibly facing a backlash? It takes a strong leader to draft Sam; it may take an even stronger leader to waive him.

Sam was a smart pick for the Rams. And he’s a good fit. Rams players already have reached out to let Sam know they’re happy he’s part of the team. Sam won’t have any problems at Rams Park. Not with Robert Quinn, Chris Long, William Hayes, James Laurinaitis and so many others having his back.

And this concocted issue of “distractions” is just that: nonsense. The Rams will have a reasonable plan for media access to Sam. And after the initial round of stories, the national media will move on, and everyone at Rams Park will continue working.

As a seventh-round selection on a team with a deep defensive line, Sam faces long odds to win a job.

But at least one NFL team had the fortitude to draft him. At least one NFL team was willing to give a shot to this long shot.

At least one NFL team deserves to feel proud today. Only one NFL franchise had the strength of character to tear down a barrier, and welcome Michael Sam into the family.

And now the rest will be up to him.

 

[RamBill]

Sam's a Ram, and he's ready to prove himself
• By Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_8c9ed829-4d5d-5cda-adef-6247243510a5.html

For Michael Sam, the call finally came late in the seventh round of the 2014 draft. Much to his, and everyone’s surprise, it was Jeff Fisher on the other line.

“To be honest with you, the only thing I heard from Coach Fisher was: ‘Michael Sam, this is Coach Fisher of the St. Louis Rams ...’ ” Sam said.

After that, Fisher might as well have been an encyclopedia salesman.

“I had no idea after that what he said,” Sam said laughing.

But Sam knew he had just joined an exclusive fraternity, he had just been drafted into the NFL. Sam was in California at the time, and with ESPN cameras rolling, Sam broke down in tears. There were kisses, there were hugs, there were more tears. Tears of joy.

“Waiting three days, I think you’d be a little bit emotional yourself,” Sam said.

He was referring to his long wait to be drafted. But there was much more obviously, to that emotional release. Ever since his February announcement that he was gay, the great unknown was how would the conservative, macho world of the National Football League react.

Would teams back off from drafting Sam, the University of Missouri defensive end, because of his sexual orientation? Would the revelation hurt the draft status of the Southeastern Conference’s defensive player of the year?

With 248 picks gone and just eight picks to go in the draft, you could argue that the answer to both questions was “yes.”

But then came the phone call from Fisher. About an hour later, Sam took part in the obligatory post-selection conference call with St. Louis media. By that time, the emotion of the moment hadn’t subsided. He had channeled it equal parts energy, joy, and bravado. He was just a little fired up. So fired up, that some salty language figured into the dialogue.

“I knew I was gonna get picked somewhere, and every team that passed me I was thinking I’m gonna sack their quarterback,” Sam said.

Assuming he makes the final roster, first up for Sam — the new Ram — will be the Minnesota Vikings, whose roster currently includes QBs Matt Cassel, newly-drafted Teddy Bridgewater, and Christian Ponder.

“The 2013 co-defensive player of the year is ready to (bleeping) show the world that he is ready to work,” Sam said. “Let me tell you something, if we were playing the Vikings right now, I’d probably have three sacks.”

These have been overwhelming times for Sam. But now he must prove, once again, that he can play football.

“Since February, since my big announcement, this has been a whole speculation of the first openly gay football player,” he said. “But you know what, it’s not about that. It’s about playing football.

“Can Michael Sam play football? And yes I can. The St. Louis Rams know I can, and I’m gonna give everything I’ve got to the St. Louis Rams, to help the Rams win the championship.”

Sam got so many texts, tweets, and calls after getting drafted, his phone went dead. Before that happened he noticed several texts from his new Rams teammates.

“I don’t know who they are ... I don’t know their numbers,” Sam said. “But they just said, ‘Welcome to the team.’ ”

Even Tennessee State center Demetrius Rhaney, who in terms of garnering attention had the unfortunate distinction of getting drafted by the Rams one pick after Sam, threw out the welcome mat.

“Michael Sam, he’s like a brother now,” Rhaney said, when asked about Sam. “That’s my teammate. I can’t wait to meet him.”

Sam’s new position coach, ex-Marine Mike Waufle of the Rams, talked to Sam at the NFL Scouting Combine in February. About a month later, the Rams sent a three-person contingent that included assistant head coach Dave McGinnis to Columbia for Mizzou’s pro day.

Even so, Sam said, “I had no idea they were this interested in me. I want to thank Mr. (Stan) Kroenke and Coach Fisher, and all of the other St. Louis Rams higher-ups there. I’m so proud to be a St. Louis Ram.”

Just two picks away from No. 249 overall, Fisher called owner Kroenke on the phone about selecting Sam. Executive vice president Kevin Demoff was in on the discussion.

“We discussed it privately with Kevin and Mr. Kroenke and felt like it was the right thing to do at the right time,” Fisher said.

“We were in the seventh round, so we were looking at the board, and we had him rated to go a little higher than the seventh round,” general manager Les Snead said. “As we said when we drafted the last defensive lineman (first-rounder Aaron Donald), we like to feed our beast in the DL. And obviously this guy’s production, play speaks for itself.”

So the Rams’ franchise made history — social and cultural history — once again. The team that drafted the first black football player in the modern NFL (Kenny Washington) a year before Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color line, the Rams have now drafted the first openly-gay football player in NFL history.

“I’m telling you, no one has the (testicles) that St. Louis had,” Sam said. “And I’m proud to give everything I’ve got to St. Louis. So many people are proud of the St. Louis organization for being the one to make history.”

 

[RamBill]

Sam should feel welcome in St. Louis
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/8327/sam-should-feel-welcome-in-st-louis

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Less than two hours east down Interstate 70 from his college stomping grounds at the University of Missouri, Michael Sam will take his shot at becoming the first openly gay player in the NFL.

The St. Louis Rams used the 249th overall selection on Sam on Saturday night, giving him the opportunity to begin his NFL career in surroundings that should be about as comfortable as possible for a player transitioning to the game's highest level.

That isn't to say Sam won't have his share of challenges. Whenever you're the first to do something, there likely will be bumps along the way. Sam knows what awaits.

"I knew what I was coming into," he said. "Are there going to be idiots out there who say some stupid stuff? Yeah. I'm not worried about that. I'm worried about the guy next to me, the guy in front of me. I have got to prove myself. I have got to make sure the vets know I'm a team player and I love this game and I want to show the coaches that I'm a team player and a hard-working guy. What I do on the field will determine how great Michael Sam will be."

On a macro level, St. Louis provides a smaller media market through which Sam should be able to go about his business without much distraction. St. Louis is also home to countless University of Missouri alumni, a group that has spent the past four years rooting for Sam in Columbia.

Even Rams owner Stan Kroenke holds multiple Mizzou degrees and maintains a residence in Columbia.

Further, Sam enters a locker room and a defensive line that is overflowing with diverse and eclectic personalities.

It's a group led by former Marine turned line coach Mike Waufle and includes notorious pranksters Chris Long and William Hayes, among many other characters.

"It's going to be a mess in that room now," Rams coach Jeff Fisher said, a smile creeping across his face. "It's going to be fun."

Forgetting for a moment the microscope that likely will stay focused on him throughout the offseason and into training camp, Sam is walking into a group that will keep him on his toes on and off the field.

"Yeah, Michael does not know what he's getting himself into," Rams general manager Les Snead said.

The Rams defensive line has been one of the best in the league the past two years and boasts players from all different walks of life.

Long, the son of Hall of Famer Howie Long, sets the tone with his playful approach in the locker room. But he's all business otherwise.

"We have a heck of a room," Long said. "Coach Waufle works us hard. We work hard. We are a fun group and we are always going to be the liveliest group on the field, too. I think that those guys love playing tough football and working hard which when you watch tape of them, they do that. I really enjoy being part of our defensive line. We're trying to be tone-setters. We have a long way to go and certainly the addition of guys like Michael helps."

There's also Eugene Sims, a quiet unassuming type from Mount Olive, Mississippi.

Robert Quinn is the best player of the bunch, a freak of an athlete who is about as humble as emerging superstars come.

The list goes on.

What's more, Sam won't just be surrounded by players who figure to be welcoming: They will also serve as mentors, willing to help him improve.

"It's not only a great opportunity to be around a diverse group in there but I think he has a lot of guys in that room he can learn from football-wise," defensive captain James Laurinaitis said. "I think that's the most important thing. He has guys like Robert and Chris and William and Eugene. There's a lot of guys that are really good football players and obviously the competition is really deep there in that room.

"I think that's just kind of the DNA of the guys in that room right now. They always go to work. They work hard in the weight room, out on the field and they are a bunch of good guys, so I think he'll fit in great."

If, for some reason, a problem pops up, Sam also has the benefit of playing for one of the most respected coaches in the league. Fisher makes a consistent effort to keep tabs on the locker room and won't hesitate to step in if someone steps out of line.

"If there's an issue there, I will address it as it would relate to any other form of discrimination or anything that I would feel was offensive from a diversity standpoint," Fisher said. "No different."

As Sam spoke to the media Saturday night, his excitement to join the Rams was unmistakable. Through the course of the conversation, Sam adamantly tried to discuss football instead of his sexuality.

Soon enough, Sam will get his chance to put aside all talk of his life off the field to prove himself on the field. The competition at a loaded position will be tough. Making the roster is no sure thing.

But if it doesn't happen for Sam, it won't be because of anything aside from good old-fashioned competition.

"I think the reaction you see from people on our team out on Twitter and all of that just shows we have got a group of guys that all we care about is are you going to come in and help this football team win football games and get to where we want to go?" Laurinaitis said. "That answer is definitely yes."