2014 Year in Review: February Edition

Michael Sam Comes Out

Aug 28, 2014; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; St. Louis Rams defensive end Michael Sam (96) looks on prior to a game against the Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

On February 9th Michael Sam conducted an interview with ESPN’s Outside The Lines in which he came out as gay. Sam explained that he first came out to his teammates while playing at Missouri during his final year, a year in which he captured the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award. After a practice during training camp, the coaches at Missouri wanted the players to share a little about each other and when it was Sam’s turn, he took the opportunity to come out to his teammates. “Coaches just wanted to know a little about ourselves, our majors, where we’re from, and something that no one knows about you…And I used that opportunity just to tell them that I was gay.” Sam would be the first openly-gay active NFL player, as well as the first openly-gay draft prospect, and with the 249th pick in the 2014 NFL Draft the St. Louis Rams took Michael Sam. He would remain on the practice squad until August 30th when the Rams released Sam, the Cowboys then picked him up on September 3rd but released him a month later.