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Michael Sam, who graduated from the University of Missouri in December, last year told his coaches and teammates that he’s gay. Yesterday, he told the rest of the world. And in doing so, he may become the first openly-gay NFL player.
In an extensive interview, the New York Times explained Sam told his team.
“Coaches at the University of Missouri divided players into small groups at a preseason football practice last year for a team-building exercise. One by one, players were asked to talk about themselves — where they grew up, why they chose Missouri and what others might not know about them.”
As Michael Sam, a defensive lineman, began to speak, he balled up a piece of paper in his hands. “I’m gay,†he said.
…
“I looked in their eyes, and they just started shaking their heads — like, finally, he came out,†Mr. Sam said Sunday in an interview with The New York Times, the first time he had spoken publicly about his sexual orientation.
Sam also told the Times, “I’m not naïve. I know this is a huge deal and I know how important this is. But my role as of right now is to train for the combine and play in the N.F.L.”
“Some people actually just couldn’t believe I was actually gay. But I never had a problem with my teammates. Some of my coaches were worried, but there was never an issue.”
“Once I became official to my teammates, I knew who I was,†Mr. Sam said. “I knew that I was gay. And I knew that I was Michael Sam, who’s a Mizzou football player who happens to be gay. I was so proud of myself and I just didn’t care who knew. If someone on the street would have asked me, ‘Hey, Mike, I heard you were gay; is that true?’ I would have said yes.â€
No one asked.
“I guess they don’t want to ask a 6-3, 260-pound defensive lineman if he was gay or not,†Mr. Sam said. And he laughed.
After the Times’ story broke, the NFL released a statement, announcing they “admire Michael Sam’s honesty and courage. Michael is a football player. Any player with ability and determination can succeed in the N.F.L. We look forward to welcoming and supporting Michael Sam in 2014.”
Here’s a video interview from the Times:
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/bcvideo/1.0/iframe/embed.html?videoId=100000002699613&playerType=embed