As one of the first openly gay athletes in a major U.S. sport, Michael Sam has made plenty of history and is ready to be able to just focus on football.
The 2013 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, Sam was officially introduced by his new Canadian Football League (CFL) team, the Montreal Alouettes. The defensive end came out as gay privately to his team at the University of Missouri and then publicly as his final college season came to a close.
Sam became the first openly gay football player ever selected in the NFL Draft when the St. Louis Rams took him in the seventh round, but he never played a regular season game after being cut during the preseason. He spent the entire NFL season staying ready for a team to give him a shot, but the closest he came was spending some time on the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad.
"I am very excited and proud to join the Montreal Alouettes and want to thank team Owner Robert Wetenhall, General Manager Jim Popp and Head Coach Tom Higgins for this opportunity," Sam, 25, said at his introductory press conference. "I cannot wait to put on the pads, get back on the field and work hard each and every day with my teammates to bring a Grey Cup to the great fans here in Montreal."
Sam's no. 94 Rams jersey leapt to the top of the sales charts and the Alouettes have already put his jersey, with the same number, up for sale, the Associated Press reported. While many are bound to pay attention to Sam's work in the CFL, the team's general manager said he fully expects the defensive end to contribute to the Allouette's pass rush.
Sam sank to the end of the draft due to his small size for a defensive end and his lack of speed for a linebacker. Sam only considers himself a pass rusher.
"My size fits as a pass-rusher,'' he said at the press event. "I led my team in preseason in sacks and that was in the NFL, so I'm a pass-rusher. Doesn't matter where I'm at.''
