Anna Duke
Sports Editor
Michael Sam, a defensive lineman for the University of Missouri, will be the first openly gay football player to enter the NFL draft. Sam, an estimated third round draft pick, will most likely be the first openly gay man in the NFL.
Last season, Sam feared that rumors were getting out about his sexuality. In response, he decided to tell teammates that he was gay. “I just want to make sure I could tell my story the way I want to tell it,” Sam said to ESPN. “I just want to own my truth.” The Missouri team kept his sexuality a secret amongst the team for the past year. Sam graduated from Missouri this December and has since forth decided to publicly declare that he is gay before the NFL draft.
The professional male sports stage has not been known as a place where all sexualities are accepted. Currently, there are no publicly gay athletes in the NFL, the NBA, the NHL or the MLB. Recently, Jason Collins, a free-agent player in the NBA, came out and has yet to be signed to a team. Sam’s courage in publicly proclaiming that he was openly gay could start a revolution for professional male athletes or create serious tensions. Coaches are concerned that other players will not be as accepting as some of the members on the Missouri team. They acknowledged that there were some issues about Sam coming out, but they worked through them. They fear others will not be as accepting.
So far, this concern may be valid. While the league welcomes players of all sexuality, this has not been seen before. Recently, Jonathan Vilma, a New Orleans Saints linebacker, proclaimed that he did not want a gay teammate. He told the NFL Network, “I think he would not be accepted as much as we think he would be accepted.” Another player, Chris Kluwe claimed he lost a spot on the Minnesota Vikings as a punter because he supported gay marriage.
Despite this, Sam remains optimistic. He plays down the possible repercussions and repeatedly stated that no matter what happens he knows that his family and teammates support him. The NFL draft is scheduled to take place in early May.