Surprised Sam took this long

[Mick]

http://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/First-openly-gay-NFL-player-shares-story-10916280.php

Former NFL player Michael Sam said he always felt like an outsider — the deaths of two older brothers, the bullying he endured by other family members and even his mother's religion, Jehovah's Witness, made him feel apart from his peers. But nothing made him feel more like an outsider than being gay in the NFL.

"I had to prove myself, to show that I was one of the guys," said Sam, who spoke Tuesday night as part of Sexuality Month at the University at Albany. "I was cut from the Rams, even though I was in the top five in sacks. Then I went to the Cowboys and had to do it all over again. And then I was cut there. I always felt like an outsider looking in."

Sam assured the few hundred students who came to hear him in the Campus Center that "everything happens for a reason."

The difficult childhood and NFL disappointment led him to become a motivational speaker urging others to be true to themselves.

"When I came out to the world on Feb. 9, 2014, I got tons of emails from people telling me how they were condemned for their sexuality," said Sam. "It made me sad and angry. I spoke to one girl who told me that because I came out, she didn't commit suicide. I was speechless."

After high school in Hitchcock, Texas, Sam, a defensive end, was recruited to play for the University of Missouri. Named an All-American and Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year as a senior, he expected to be drafted in the second or third round of the 2014 draft. But his prospects plummeted the day after he announced he was gay. He wasn't drafted until the seventh round for the St. Louis Rams.

"When I was drafted I thought the headline would be 'NFL has first openly gay player,' but instead it was 'Sam kisses boyfriend.' Should I have kissed a girl? The media made it a distraction."

He said it was also difficult that he, as a rookie, garnered constant media attention.

"I'm still baffled," said Sam. "I thought it would be a story for two weeks and then it would go away."

Sam remains wary of the media. He refused interviews with the local press and stopped his talk to ask the television crews to turn off their cameras.

The attention and what he believes is the sports' discomfort with homosexuality ultimately destroyed his career. After being cut from the Rams and then waived by the Dallas Cowboys, he joined the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League. That stint didn't last either. He said he left preseason camp for personal reasons.

"I tried to earn their trust, make them believe I belonged," said Sam. "Now I speak from the heart."

 

[jrry32]

I feel sorry for him. He'll never know if he got a fair shake, but I can say with certainty that he got a fair shake here. Westbrooks beat him out for the job.

 

[bluecoconuts]

I don't think he got a fair shake because his draft stock plummeted from 3rd or 4th round to undrafted, there were people that I saw mocking him early on suddenly saying he wasn't a very good player. I think that had he been drafted earlier coaches would have spent more time/effort to coach him up because there was potential there. It's all moot now anyway though. He wasn't good enough in the end, and if he never came out he would probably be out the league by now anyway, but he could have gotten a fair shake.

 

[jrry32]

I don't think he got a fair shake because his draft stock plummeted from 3rd or 4th round to undrafted, there were people that I saw mocking him early on suddenly saying he wasn't a very good player. I think that had he been drafted earlier coaches would have spent more time/effort to coach him up because there was potential there. It's all moot now anyway though. He wasn't good enough in the end, and if he never came out he would probably be out the league by now anyway, but he could have gotten a fair shake.

Eh, I think the article misrepresented that quite a bit. This is what killed his draft stock:
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=96267&draftyear=2014&genpos=DE

You can't be an undersized DL and put up that terrible of a Combine workout. The DL is one of the few positions where Combine numbers do matter. I know some guys who have created formulas that have predictive utility. The best predictors of DL play (in terms of Combine numbers) are weight, the jump numbers, and the agility drills (short shuttle and three cone drill). Sam posted absolutely awful numbers in all of those drills except the broad jump (which was still poor for a guy his size).

He posted numbers that you would expect out of a 300 pound DT, not a 260 pound DE (except for his broad jump). When you combined that with his film where he essentially relied on speed and effort, it didn't paint a pretty picture for him. It painted him as a college overachiever who lacked the athleticism to be a NFL impact player.

I can guarantee you that if Sam had posted a 4.60 40, a 40 inch VJ, a 10'05" Broad Jump, a 4.10 short shuttle, and a 6.95 three cone drill, he would have went 1st or 2nd round. NFL teams care a lot about talent.

It's hard to overlook a lack of talent with all the baggage that comes with Sam. It's not fair, but it is reality.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I was never a fan, even before the gay stuff. He was not that impressive athletically.

 

[Mr. Walker]

Meh, Michael Sam always came across as an arrogant A-Hole to me. And it was clear from the time he came out that he was more interested in becoming a celebrity than playing in the NFL.

And he always wants to throw out the "I was the defensive player of the year in the SEC" thing when he's asked about his NFL "career" and him dropping on draft day...truth is, there's been plenty of DPOY awards that guys have won in the SEC that didn't end up doing squat at the next level. Sam was/is as athletic as a

 

[kurtfaulk]

.

Wasn't his coming out a desperation move to become relevant in the draft? He was gonna be a nobody and he wanted to be a somebody. Well he got the fame he wanted.

.

 

[tempests]

Thought he was a good, humble kid at Mizzou, with a solid rep among teammates and coaches, and it took guts to come out like he did.

Unfortunately my opinion of him changed after his time in the league. Special interest groups started whispering in his ear, and from that point ,those were the people he listened to. Near as I can tell, the Rams made a genuine attempt to welcome him and give him his shot to make it. Since he left, I've never seen him show gratitude for that. In fact, he's heavily implied the Rams were being fake about it.

Ethan Westbrooks could play inside and out, a skill that made him more valuable in Fisher/Williams defense. Sam could only play DE, and didn't play special teams. It's a reasonable explanation for why Westbrooks made it over Sam. But Sam remains convinced he did enough to make the team, and doesn't need to prove that he can play in the NFL.
That's the difference from late round picks who did make it; even after early rejection, they kept working to prove themselves. Sam didn't. He points to his preseason tape from three years ago and says that's good enough. He might've gotten another chance in the CFL but he couldn't commit to that either.

For a guy who's supposedly "wary of the media." Sam has never really stopped talking to them. He's never accepted his role in what happened, recognized his shortcomings, or shown the desire to do what it takes to earn another shot.

 

[shaunpinney]

It's a shame that his sexuality will be his legacy and not his playing ability. But, unfortunately I think he made that decision when he so publicly came out. As @tempests mentioned - he was, and still seems to be, constantly courting the media, whereas he should have buttoned lip and played balls out (pardon the pun) football. His sexuality would have become a 'so what' if he'd have re-aligned his priorities.

 

[Loyal]

He got every chance in St Louis, and he wasn't good enough, period. Fisher/Snead didn't have to take him in the draft, but they did so for political reasons, imo. If he'd have been the 2nd coming of Deacon Jones, no one would give a cr@p about sexual orientation. He wasn't good enough, especially with all of the attention/scrutiny his situation recieved in the process. I was immediately concerned that he thought it was because he was gay that he was drafted so late, which told me he would say the same if he was ever cut. Would he have rather been a gay token on an NFL team? Seems like he would.....

 

[bluecoconuts]

Eh, I think the article misrepresented that quite a bit. This is what killed his draft stock:
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=96267&draftyear=2014&genpos=DE

You can't be an undersized DL and put up that terrible of a Combine workout. The DL is one of the few positions where Combine numbers do matter. I know some guys who have created formulas that have predictive utility. The best predictors of DL play (in terms of Combine numbers) are weight, the jump numbers, and the agility drills (short shuttle and three cone drill). Sam posted absolutely awful numbers in all of those drills except the broad jump (which was still poor for a guy his size).

He posted numbers that you would expect out of a 300 pound DT, not a 260 pound DE (except for his broad jump). When you combined that with his film where he essentially relied on speed and effort, it didn't paint a pretty picture for him. It painted him as a college overachiever who lacked the athleticism to be a NFL impact player.

I can guarantee you that if Sam had posted a 4.60 40, a 40 inch VJ, a 10'05" Broad Jump, a 4.10 short shuttle, and a 6.95 three cone drill, he would have went 1st or 2nd round. NFL teams care a lot about talent.

It's hard to overlook a lack of talent with all the baggage that comes with Sam. It's not fair, but it is reality.

I don't think he was all that talented, which is why I think he'd still be out of the league. I just think he had more than undrafted talent. It doesn't matter now anyway, can't change the past. I never really cared much about the story to be honest, but a lot of that is because I really couldn't give two shits what someone does in their bedroom or how they live their life as long as it's not hurting people.

 

[LACHAMP46]

"When I was drafted I thought the headline would be 'NFL has first openly gay player,' but instead it was 'Sam kisses boyfriend.' Should I have kissed a girl? The media made it a distraction."

He said it was also difficult that he, as a rookie, garnered constant media attention.

"I'm still baffled," said Sam. "I thought it would be a story for two weeks and then it would go away."

I'm shocked he states he wanted to really make a pro team. I mean, why not work out, and get ready for the combine instead of making announcements?

I don't think he got a fair shake because his draft stock plummeted from 3rd or 4th round to undrafted

SEE BELOW \/

You can't be an undersized DL and put up that terrible of a Combine workout. The DL is one of the few positions where Combine numbers do matter.

Exactly....I saw him run...then I saw his vertical jump...and in no way did he look like a player.

I always look at guys like Sam...What he did in the SEC...And I swear...Man, I shouldn't be sitting behind this computer...I should be getting ready for the draft...picking players...after a 5-8 year pro career. Hell yeah, no blue font.

 

[thirteen28]

And he always wants to throw out the "I was the defensive player of the year in the SEC" thing when he's asked about his NFL "career" and him dropping on draft day...truth is, there's been plenty of DPOY awards that guys have won in the SEC that didn't end up doing squat at the next level.

That's a good point - accolades you get in college don't mean squat at the next level. Charlie Ward was a Heisman Trophy winning QB for Florida State ... undrafted and never played even a snap in the NFL.

For that matter, Keenum annihilated NCAA passing records, yet also went undrafted, and while he has played in the NFL, we pretty much know where his ceiling is.

 

[JackDRams]

Sam sucks. Wants everything handed to him because he "came out". Too bad loser, these other guys that made the team actually bust their asses to do it. You wouldn't even prove yourself in the CFL for an offseason. Why the hell would any pro team want a lazy SOB like you? I have no sympathy for him. You're gay. Big fuckin deal. Try being a football player and maybe a team will want you.

 

[DaveFan'51]

I was never a fan, even before the gay stuff. He was not that impressive athletically.

Ditto!!! And, to repeat what @jrry32 said, " He got beat out fair and square by Westbrooks!!

 

[fearsomefour]

When I saw him I saw a guy with stiff hips who could not change direction.
"Everything happens for a reason."
The reason is you were not good enough for the NFL.

 

[FRO]

He seemed too into the sideshow. He wanted a reality TV crew following him around. It seemed like he was into the attention of it. He also quit on his Canadian football team. I know he put up good numbers in college, but you have to work to be a pro and go through back channels to reach your dream. He came off as a bit entitled due to his great college career.

 

[Zaphod]

.

Wasn't his coming out a desperation move to become relevant in the draft? He was gonna be a nobody and he wanted to be a somebody. Well he got the fame he wanted.

.

That was exactly how I saw it.

 

[BadCompany]

He also quit on his Canadian football team.

Living in Montreal I can say that while he did "quit" I think it was because he knew he was about to be cut.

Having said that, I think his skill set could have worked up here, in the CFL game. But like a LOT of players who get cut from NFL teams, or who come from big name colleges, it seemed like he thought he could come up here, throw his helmet on the field, and make the team. The CFL, despite what people say about it (including most Canadians by the way), is still full of professional football players, who take their craft seriously. There are some very good players up here, and if you don't put in the work, you're going to get cut.

 

[Tailback]

I give two farts in a hurricane about what he sticks his privates into. He was not NFL defensive end material. He was a good college player.