College Football Star Michael Sam: 'I'm an Openly, Proud Gay Man'

missouri nfl gay players

What me first, Michael Sam or Missouri? On face, 's a ridiculo qutn. Whout Missouri, Michael Sam still would have been an exceptnal athlete and a gay man. But the wake of Sam's...

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BEFORE CARL NASSIB, MICHAEL SAM WAS THE NFL’S FIRST OPENLY GAY DRAFT PICK. HE NEVER PLAYED A REGULAR SEASON GAME.

Players on 22 NFL teams have already had an out gay teammate, cludg six players wh the Arizona Cardals. * missouri nfl gay players *

Seven years before Las Vegas Rairs fensive end Carl Nassib beme the first active NFL player to e out as gay on Monday, an all-Amerin om the Universy of Missouri risked a promisg reer wh a public claratn. “I am an openly proud gay man, ” Michael Sam, a 24-year-old fensive end, told ESPN and the New York Tim Febary announcement followed a surprisg 12-2 season for Missouri, which won the SEC East and then the Cotton Bowl as Sam was named the SEC fensive player of the year. On Tuday, Sam thanked Nassib for jog the ranks of LGBTQ football players, payg special tribute to the donatn Nassib ma to the Trevor Project, a nonprof foced on suici Vegas Rairs fensive end Carl Nassib announced June 21 on Instagram that he is gay, makg him the first active NFL player to e out.

THE 39 CURRENT NFL PLAYERS HAVE ALL PLAYED WH AN OUT GAY TEAMMATE

Las Vegas Rairs fensive end Carl Nassib ma history Monday by beg the first active NFL player to e out as gay. * missouri nfl gay players *

The NFL particular had faced cricism for allegedly askg prospects about their sexual orientatn and had been acced of hamperg players who spoke out favor of gay many profsnal athlet around the world, cludg several retired NFL players, had e out by 2014, no one who was still playg football had dared to make that move before story rurfaced on Monday when the 28-year-old Nassib, who was drafted by the Cleveland Browns 2016 and now plays for the Rairs, announced that he is gay a vio on Instagram.

“Here’s the tth: Everyone ow Michael Sam such a b of gratu, ” Wa Davis, a former NFL rnerback who me out as gay 2012, told The Washgton Post on Monday. He wasn’t the only gay man who stggled to fd a place the NFL after g retired NFL players have publicly intified as gay, begng wh Dave Kopay, who me out 1975, three years after leavg the sport.

Some people still believe that the NFL is a “homophobic” monolh where ’s “dangero” to be gay.

NFL PROSPECT MICHAEL SAM OUT AS GAY

Rairs DE Carl Nassib beme the first active NFL player to e out as gay, announcg the news an Instagram post Monday while pledgg $100,000 to the Trevor Project. * missouri nfl gay players *

Dpe Outsports chroniclg lerally dozens of piec of evince to the ntrary, there’s a ntued belief amongst some that NFL players would overwhelmgly reject a gay player if he me out.

CARL NASSIB OUT AS 1ST OPENLY GAY ACTIVE NFL PLAYER

* missouri nfl gay players *

So we set out to figure out how many current NFL players have already played on the same team wh an out gay teammate. We found 39 current NFL players, who were on a roster for the 2020 season, who have already had an out gay teammate. In addn, dozens of other players have played agast an opponent they knew to be gay.

CARL NASSIB OF LAS VEGAS RAIRS ANNOUNC HE IS GAY, PLEDG $100,000 TO TREVOR PROJECT

Missouri All-Amerin Michael Sam says he is gay, and the fensive end uld bee the first openly homosexual player the NFL. In terviews wh ESPN, The New York Tim and Outsports that were published Sunday, Sam said he me out to all his teammat and ach at Missouri Augt. "I am an openly, proud gay man," he said. Sam will participate the NFL be later this month Indianapolis and is currently projected to be a mid-round draft pick May. "It's a big al. No one has done this before. And 's kd of a nervo procs, but I know what I want to be ... I want to be a football player the NFL," he told ESPN. The 6-foot-2, 255-pound Sam participated the Senr Bowl Mobile, Ala., last month after leadg the Southeastern Conference sacks (11.5) and tackl for loss (19). He was the SEC fensive player of the year. There have been a few NFL players who have e out after their playg days, cludg Kwame Harris and Dave Kopay. Last year, NBA player Jason Colls announced he was gay after the season. Colls, a 35-year-old backup center, was a ee agent when he me out and has not signed wh a new team this season. MLS star and U.S. natnal team player Robbie Rogers also me out a year ago. "His urage will spire lns to live their tth," Rogers tweeted about Sam. Divisn III Willamette kicker Conner Mertens, a redshirt hman, said last month he was bisexual. "We admire Michael Sam's honty and urage," the NFL said statement. "Michael is a football player. Any player wh abily and termatn n succeed the NFL. We look forward to welg and supportg Michael Sam 2014." Sam's announcement at a time gay rights issu and sports have llid at the Olympics Sochi. Rsia's anti-gay law has received much attentn, and cricism, bee of the gam. "By rewrg the script for untls young athlet, Michael has monstrated the learship that, along wh his imprsive skills on the field, mak him a natural f for the NFL," said Sarah Kate Ellis, print of GLAAD, a leadg lbian gay, bisexual and transgenr media advocy anizatn. "Wh acceptance of LGBT people risg across our asts — our schools, church, and workplac — 's clear that Ameri is ready for an openly gay football star." The NFL's sexual orientatn, anti-discrimatn and harassment policy stat: Coach, General Managers and others rponsible for terviewg and hirg draft-eligible players and ee agents mt not seek rmatn ncerng or make personnel cisns based on a player's sexual orientatn. This clus askg qutns durg an terview that suggt that the player's sexual orientatn will be a factor the cisn to draft or sign him. Exampl: Do you like women or men? How well do you do wh the ladi? Do you have a girliend? Carola Panthers nng back DeAngelo Williams tweeted: "I uld re ls about a man's sexual preference! i re about wng gam and beg rpectful the locker room!" Williams' teammate, rnerback Drayton Florence, posted on his Twter acunt: "No ment but n be a distractn the locker room. At least he's open wh much rpect!" Sam said many people at the Senr Bowl, an all-star game for NFL prospects, seemed to know he was gay. "I didn't realize how many people actually knew, and I was aaid that someone would tell or leak somethg out about me," he told ESPN. "I want to own my tth. ... No one else should tell my story but me." Sam told the Tim he dated a man on the Missouri swim team and me out to teammat L'Damian Washgton and Marv Foster about a year ago, before lettg the whole team know durg last preason. "Coach jt wanted to know a ltle about ourselv, our majors, where we're om, and somethg that no one knows about you," Sam told ESPN. "And I ed that opportuny jt to tell them that I was gay. And their reactn was like, 'Michael Sam fally told .'" Missouri ach Gary Pkel said a statement Sunday night he was proud of Sam and how he reprented the program. "Michael is a great example of jt how important is to be rpectful of others, he's tght a lot of people here firsthand that don't matter what your background is, or your personal orientatn, we're all on the same team and we all support each other," Pkel said. "If Michael don't have the support of his teammat like he did this past year, I don't thk there's any way he has the type of season he put together." Missouri lebacker Donovan Bonner was a teammate of Sam's for five years. "We knew of his stat for 5 years and not one team member, ach, or staff member said anythg says a lot about our fay atmosphere," Bonner tweeted. ___ AP Sports Wrer Steve Reed Charlotte, N.C., ntributed to this report. ___ Follow Ralph D. Rso at * missouri nfl gay players *

The 39 current NFL players have played wh at least five gay or bisexual men who were out to their team while they were on the same team. The Arizona Cardals have the most players we know have played wh an out gay teammate.

At least six of the players on the Cardals’ 2020 roster — about 10% of the team, — has already had a gay teammate they knew of.

Wh that experience, solid veteran learship, a ach Kliff Kgsbury who has ld gay football player Stt Frantz, and a ont office that has monstrated an embrace of LGBTQ people, is easy to make the se that an out gay player wh the Cardals would be weled.

RAMS CUT MICHAEL SAM, FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER DRAFTED

Michael Sam was the first openly gay player to be drafted to the NFL, but he wasn't able to stick around the league. * missouri nfl gay players *

Of urse many other NFL players have played wh a gay or bi teammate before they me out (e. The are the current NFL players to have played wh an out gay or bi man on their team (wh that team and their current team listed):. If you thk I’ve missed a current NFL player who’s played wh an out gay or bi teammate, be sure to leave the rmatn the ments below.

MISSOURI ALL-AMERIN SAYS HE IS GAY

Michael Sam, an All-Amerin fensive leman om Missouri and the Associated Prs' SEC Defensive Player of the Year, said that he is gay terviews wh ESPN's Outsi the L and the New York Tim on Sunday. * missouri nfl gay players *

“The SEC -fensive player of the year om the Universy of Missouri would be first publicly gay active NFL player if drafted.

REMEMBERG MICHAEL SAM'S NFL, CFL REER AFTER RAIRS' CARL NASSIB ANNOUNC HE'S GAY

Missouri’s Michael Sam, SEC Defensive Player of the Year, announc he is gay Sunday, acrdg to a New York Tim report. Sam, a First-Team All Amerin fensive leman for the Tigers last season, is projected as an early-round pick this summer’s NFL draft. * missouri nfl gay players *

Michael Sam, the Universy of Missouri fensive end who was the SEC’s -fensive player of the year 2013, has e out publicly as gay.

If selected the May draft or if signed as a ee agent, he would bee the first publicly gay player NFL history. And I knew that I was Michael Sam, who’s a Mizzou football player who happens to be gay. If someone on the street would have asked me, ‘Hey, Mike, I heard you were gay.

MIZZOU'S MICHAEL SAM SAYS HE'S GAY

Kev Maxen, an associate strength ach wh the Jacksonville Jaguars, has bee the first male ach a major U.S.-based profsnal league to e out as gay. * missouri nfl gay players *

I gus they don’t want to ask a 6-3, 260-pound fensive leman if he was gay or not. In g out now, Sam said he wanted him beg gay to be known to the fans and ont office of any team that drafted him.

It was only once he enrolled at Missouri that he fally realized he was gay.

While he said many people on the team knew or spected, he told them all he was gay durg a team bondg meetg Augt. He said that he even ocsnally took straight teammat to gay clubs, cludg at the recent Cotton Bowl Dallas, a sign of their embrace of him and the fun they had hangg out wh the gregar, outgog Sam.

MISSOURI FOOTBALL PLAYER MICHAEL SAM SAYS HE IS GAY, AIMS TO BE FIRST PUBLICLY GAY PLAYER NFL

Revealg what was prevly known by his teammat at Missouri, NFL Draft prospect and SEC Defensive Player of the Year Michael Sam revealed that he is gay. * missouri nfl gay players *

For Sam, the strs and trma he suffered growg up Hchck, Texas, has more than prepared him for anythg he will face for beg openly gay, he said. Mike entsted wh this, and we want to make sure ’s done right for Mike and the gay muny as a whole. Sam’s g out has been choreographed by Bragman, a veteran Hollywood publicist and himself gay.

In addn to ordatg verage wh ESPN, the New York Tim and Outsports, Bragman held a dner wh Sam this weekend, which clud former NFL players Dave Kopay and Wa Davis, gay former Major League Baseball player Billy Bean and straight alli and former NFL players Brendon Ayanbajo and Chris Kluwe.

The plan is to let Sam foc the next year solely on football and not seek to make him a gay role mol.

JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU

Could Bee First Publicly Gay NFL Player * missouri nfl gay players *

Dpe there beg no openly gay players, the NFL has been preparg teams for such an eventualy. Includ are some prohibed behavrs, such as preventg teams om tryg to fd out if a prospective player is gay and “meang or hostile ments regardg one’s sexual orientatn, cludg offensive or gradg words or phras.

They said that NFL suts did not ask directly whether Sam was gay, but stead asked leadg qutns such as whether Sam had a girliend.

RAIRS’ CARL NASSIB OUT AS GAY, THE FIRST ACTIVE NFL PLAYER TO DO SO

Kev Maxen, Jaguars assistant strength and ndng ach, is the first male ach a major U.S. men’s profsnal sports league to e out as gay. * missouri nfl gay players *

If Sam steps on the field September durg the NFL’s openg weekend, he would be the first publicly intifiable gay man to play a regular season game. He is far om the first gay NFL player, but all others om Kopay to Esera Tuaolo to Davis me out after they had retired, or have remaed closeted. There have been no openly gay NHL or Major League Baseball players, while Robbie Rogers is openly gay Major League Soccer.

MICHAEL SAM MAY BEE NFL'S FIRST OPENLY GAY ACTIVE PLAYER

<p>A Universy of Missouri star projected to be drafted to the NFL looks set to bee the first openly gay pro football player.</p> * missouri nfl gay players *

Yet Michael Sam ntu to pour his heart and soul to what he do off the field, om g his last dance on “Dancg Wh The Stars” to emotnally exprs his actured relatnship his homophobic father, to sharg his story wh Oprah and spirg others to live their own tth. Did seem possible for me to say publicly and proudly that I'm gay, " he wrote.

Universy of Missouri fensive end Michael Sam me out as gay 2014 before the St. He me to natnal attentn as a star of the Browns' "Hard Knocks" appearance 2018, givg fancial advice to teammat and offerg his take on the existence of Missouri lebacker Michael Sam beme the first openly gay player to be drafted NFL history 2014, when the Rams took him 249th overall. Louis Rams have cut Michael Sam, the first openly gay player drafted by an NFL team.

MISSOURI'S MICHAEL SAM SAYS HE IS GAY

After NFL prospect Michael Sam announced he is gay, current and former NFL players weigh on Twter * missouri nfl gay players *

Whout Missouri, Michael Sam still would have been an exceptnal athlete and a gay man. The Gay Teammate novelty, if there ever was one, seems to have worn off urse, Michael Sam wasn't jt any teammate.

At the same time as Sam is challengg football's beliefs about self, a broad swath of Amerin society is both watchg the Sochi Olympics and exprsg disapproval of Put's anti-gay polici. Missouri All-Amerin Michael Sam says he is gay, and the fensive end uld bee the first openly homosexual player the terviews wh ESPN, The New York Tim and Outsports that were published Sunday, Sam said he me out to all his teammat and ach at Missouri Augt. He was the SEC fensive player of the have been a few NFL players who have e out after their playg days, cludg Kwame Harris and Dave year, NBA player Jason Colls announced he was gay after the season.

JAGUARS ASSISTANT KEV MAXEN IS FIRST MALE NFL ACH TO E OUT AS GAY

”Sam’s announcement at a time gay rights issu and sports have llid at the Olympics Sochi. Rsia’s anti-gay law has received much attentn, and cricism, bee of the gam. “By rewrg the script for untls young athlet, Michael has monstrated the learship that, along wh his imprsive skills on the field, mak him a natural f for the NFL, ” said Sarah Kate Ellis, print of GLAAD, a leadg lbian gay, bisexual and transgenr media advocy anizatn.

“Wh acceptance of LGBT people risg across our asts — our schools, church, and workplac — ’s clear that Ameri is ready for an openly gay football star. Sam said many people at the Senr Bowl, an all-star game for NFL prospects, seemed to know he was gay. On Monday night, Carl Nassib beme the first active NFL player to e out as gay, but that raised a key qutn among some NFL fans.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL STAR MICHAEL SAM: 'I'M AN OPENLY, PROUD GAY MAN'

So, long story short, Sam was the first openly gay player to be drafted to the NFL. Nassib is the first active NFL player — who has been on a 53-man roster, has played durg the regular season and is still playg — to e out as gay. 9, 2014 — Sam officially announc that he is gay terviews wh the New York Tim and ESPN.

Now-former Las Vegas Rairs head ach Jon Gn ed a homophobic term an email when referrg to the then-St.

MICHAEL SAM SAYS HE IS GAY: NFL PLAYERS REACT

Louis Rams' cisn to select former Tiger star Michael Sam, an openly gay fensive end, the 2014 NFL Draft, USA Today email was one of many ma public after the New York Tim published a story on their ntents late plethora of emails me to light as part of a pletely separate vtigatn by NFL officials to workplace misnduct that did not directly volve Gn.

RAIRS’ CARL NASSIB ANNOUNC HE’S GAY, AN N.F.L. FIRST

Asi om mentng Sam, Gn also directed an anti-gay slur toward NFL Commissner Roger Gooll while nmng female refere the league and NFL players prottg durg the natnal rigned as head ach of the Rairs roughly an hour after the story's publitn.

Gn was at the foreont of this nversatn this past summer, as Rairs fensive end Carl Nassib me out as the first openly gay active player the NFL last June. "More:Ex-NFL player Ryan O'Callaghan, who is openly gay, on Jon Gn: 'It's never OK' to e homophobic slursJeff Fisher weighs on Michael SamWhen the St.

"I ntue to support Michael, and his cisn to e out as the first draft eligible openly gay player the league, " Fisher wrote on Twter.

*EN.BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* MISSOURI NFL GAY PLAYERS

The 39 current NFL players have all played wh a gay teammate - Outsports .

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