Missouri DE Michael Sam Says He is Gay; May Become First Publicly Gay Player in NFL

Jan 3, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Missouri Tigers defensive lineman Michael Sam (52) runs on the field before the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at the 2014 Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Missouri beat Oklahoma State 41-31. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Missouri DE Michael Sam revealed that he is gay and it will strike up some chatter around the world. Sam will be entering the draft and is projected to be selected in the 3rd round of the draft. He is a talented defensive end out of Missouri that may be moved to the linebacker position in the NFL. He was named first team All-American and he was the defensive player of the year in the Southeastern Conference. He should be drafted into the NFL based on his talent level. He should make an impact on someone’s roster.

He will get a lot of attention from the media for being the first publicly open gay player in the league and teams will likely consider that in their draft selection. He may slip down some draft boards for the circus that will likely be following him and he may slide down draft boards because of that. He may slide down draft boards because he is gay. Who knows how the owners and general managers are going to take this into consideration with their selection. We will have to see where Sam gets selected in the draft.

This will be new for everyone around the league. We will see how this affects his draft stock and his status in the league.

H/T New York Times