by Tyler Movsessian
Just eight picks before the NFL draft came to a close on Saturday, May 10, Rodger Godell, NFL Commissioner said, “with the 249 pick in the 2014 NFL
Draft, the St. Louis Rams select….. Michael Sam, Defensive End from Missouri
University.”
This is when the
NFL made history as Sam is now the first openly gay player to be drafted into
the NFL. Clearly, there are many good things that come from this, but there are
many layers to this onion. Where do the Rams go from here?
Just three
months before the moment his name was called, the all-SEC defensive end from
Missouri University came out as gay. He wanted to let the world know who he was
and that he could be an accepted member of any NFL football team, no matter
what his sexual orientation was.
It all happened
in an interview with Chris Connelly from ESPN’s Outside the Lines. He told the media that he was gay. Then the
media blew up. He got many positive responses from most fans, however some
negative from anti-gay activists. Many NFL analysts (who remained anonymous)
told Sports Illustrated that they
expected Sam to fail at the NFL draft due to this announcement.
Later, after the
Missouri Tigers defeated the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the 2014 Cotton Bowl,
Sam and other teammates were scheduled to receive the trophy at halftime of a
Missouri basketball game. A group of about 15 anti-gay activists went to the
game protested his appearance, however, the students protested back in support
for Sam, numbering in the hundreds if not thousands.
Then in March,
Sam went to the NFL combine where his draft stock fell. He was expected to be
an early-round selection, but after a subpar performance in the combine it contributed
to Sam dropping to a late-round pick.
Sam was selected
with the 249 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Sam, who was not present
at the draft, received a televised phone call from the team president informing
him about his selection to the team. Sam was immediately in tears, to the point
where he was unable to stand up, kissed his boyfriend, and hugged family and
friends.
The media was
all over the coverage of every angle of his selection and he may have been the
most talked about seventh-round draft pick in NFL history. His Ram’s jersey was
second in sales only behind first-round selection and Heisman trophy winner’s
Johnny Manziel’s for the Cleveland Browns.
The reaction to
his selection was mainly positive, including that from President Barack Obama.
“Congratulations
Michael Sam, the Rams and the NFL for taking an important step forward today in
our Nation's journey…from the playing field to the corporate boardroom, LGBT
Americans prove everyday that you should be judged by what you do and not who
you are,” said Obama.
The Rams may
have put themselves in a precarious position. Suppose they cut Sam from the
team due to a subpar performance in the pre-season, will they be labeled as
homophobic? Only time will tell. Sam believes that he can be in the NFL for
just business and not be a distraction to the teams goals in the 2014 season.
It will be interesting to watch for the next big Sam headline.
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