Categories: In the Bleachers

Michael Sam wishes he would’ve waited to make announcement that he was gay

Michael Sam became the first open NFL player having coming out earlier this year before the draft. There was a bunch of coverage regarding potential reactions from teams, NFL execs and players. Some noted that though Sam was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, he would be a bit of a tweener if he actually made it to the league.

Sam was drafted in the seventh round to the St. Louis Rams and cut before the regular season. He then was picked up by the Dallas Cowboys, and signed to the practice squad. He was cut after seven weeks. In a recent interview with GQ Sam has revealed that he wishes he wouldn’t have come out the way that he did, as he feels it ultimately has worked against him on the gridiron.

‘I would have done the same thing I did at Mizzou — which was to tell my team and my coaches and leave it at that. But the recruiters knew, and reporters knew, and they talked to each other, and it got out. If I didn’t have the year I did, nobody would have cared. But I have no regrets. Some people can argue that I had the potential to go higher in the draft. But I think everything happens for a reason.’

Sam says playing while gay wasn’t the most challenging hardship he’s had to overcome — he’s claimed his brothers abused him as a child and his father abandoned the family when he was young. (His dad denied it.)

Two of his brothers are in jail, and one has been missing for years.

On his time with the Cowboys:

‘In St. Louis, they welcomed me, but I felt they were just putting smiles on their faces. It was because they didn’t know my future. It was almost like the situation with a stray dog — you don’t want to get too close. In Dallas, they were more welcoming.’

 

Jill Munroe

Jill Munroe is a Los Angeles-based host, producer, and writer. You can find her work on sites such as FoxSports.com, EURweb.com, and MSN.com. Munroe is a current member of the African-American Film Critics Association and the National Association of Black Journalists. Munroe has also been a frequent guest on ESPN radio and Yahoo Sports. In 2015, Munroe released her first book, "PostGame Pass: access into "the life" JillMunroe.com

Share
Published by
Jill Munroe

Recent Posts

‘Reasonable Doubt’ Season 2 Hulu Tackles Friendship, Power & Secrets | Exclusive with Raamla Mohamed & Emayatzy Corinealdi

Hulu's *Reasonable Doubt* highly anticipated second season delivers a complex mix of courtroom drama, personal…

1 month ago

Frasier Reboot Season 2: How Olivia, Eve, and Roz Redefine Strong Female Characters | Watch on Peacock

The *Frasier* reboot on Peacock returns for its second season, bringing back the beloved character…

1 month ago

Puff Daddy, Hugh Hefner, and 70s Rock Icons: Two Sides of the Same Coin?

The lifestyles of music and media moguls, from rock stars of the 1970s to hip-hop…

2 months ago

Zoë Kravitz on Directing ‘Blink Twice’: Exploring Paradise, Danger, and Feminist Themes

Zoë Kravitz on Directing 'Blink Twice': Crafting Tension in Paradise Zoë Kravitz has stepped behind…

2 months ago

Diddy’s Explosive New Lawsuits: Drugging, Assault, and Voodoo Tattoo Connection

Sean "Diddy" Combs has found himself at the center of a storm, with new allegations…

2 months ago

“Seeking Mavis Beacon:” A Cultural Icon Who Was Never Real

The mystery behind Mavis Beacon, the face of the beloved 1980s typing software, has intrigued…

2 months ago

This website uses cookies.