Friday, March 29, 2024

Revisiting Michael Sam’s NFL and CFL careers after the Raiders’ Carl Nassib announced that he is gay

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On Monday night, Carnassib became the first active NFL player Coming out as a gayBut this raises a key question among some NFL fans.

Shouldn’t that title belong to Michael Sam?

In many ways, Sam paved the way for Nassib. Sam’s NFL career was short-lived, but his influence as a pioneer in the LGBTQ+ community cannot be denied.

Look back at Sam’s NFL journey and the interviews that made him a household name.

more: NFL players and owners’ reaction to Karl Nasib coming out

When did Michael Sam come out?

After his senior season at the University of Missouri, Sam came to the fore in the 2014 NFL Draft. Before the draft, Sam wanted to make his sexual orientation public, so he revealed this in interviews with the New York Times and ESPN.

“I am an open and proud gay,” Sam said, every National Football League.

“I understand how big this is. This is a big deal. No one has done this before. It is a stressful process, but I know what I want to be…I want to be a football player in the NFL. “

The interview was released on February 9, 2014, but Sam told his teammates L’Damian Washington and Marvin Foster about his sexual orientation a year ago.

Is Michael Sam the first openly gay player in the NFL?

Michael Sam is the first openly gay player to be selected to the NFL. He was selected in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft and competed for a position on the Rams’ 53-man roster.

But in the end, he was not selected for the Rams and never participated in the regular season. He played for the CFL with the Cowboys training team in 2014 and the Montreal Alouettes team in 2015. He retired from professional football in the middle of the 2015 CFL season and has not played since.

more: Derek Carr said he would rather “retire from football” than play with a team other than the Raiders

Why is Carl Nassib considered the NFL’s first active gay player?

The answer to this question is a bit technical.Karl Nassib officially became the first positive NFL players come out as gay. This means that Nassib has played in the NFL and has been on the team’s active roster.

Although Sam was selected by the Rams, he never appeared on their 53-man roster. He also did not enter the 53-man lineup of the Cowboys. Therefore, he is only one of the 90 roster in the offseason, which is not an active roster.

So, to make a long story short, Sam is the first openly gay player to be selected to the NFL. Nasib is the first active NFL player-he has been on the 53-man roster, played in the regular season and is still in the game-to become gay.

Michael Sam’s career timeline with Missouri, Rams, Cowboys and Alouettes

December 19, 2013— Sam and CJ Mosley (Alabama) were named the SEC’s best defense player of the year.

January 3, 2014— Sam played his last game in Missouri and got a TD in the Tigers’ victory over Oklahoma State University. He ended his senior season with 10 sacks.

February 9, 2014— Sam formally announced that he was gay in interviews with The New York Times and ESPN.

February 19, 2014— Sam participated in the 2014 NFL Scouting League; measured 6-2, 261 pounds, and ran a 40-yard sprint in 4.91 seconds.

May 10, 2014— The Rams selected Sam with the 249th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. Sam is the eighth player from the bottom to be selected.

August 8, 2014— Sam made his first NFL preseason appearance. A tackle against the Saints.

August 28, 2014— The NFL preseason is over. Sam completed 11 tackles and 3 sacks.

August 30, 2014— Sam was waived by the Rams after losing free agent Ethan Westbrooks to win the roster.

September 3, 2014— The Cowboys signed Sam to join their training team.

October 21, 2014— Dallas released Sam from the training team and signed linebacker Troy Davis.

March 22, 2015— Sam participated in the NFL’s first veteran group. He ran a 40-yard sprint in 4.99 seconds without signing.

May 22, 2015— The Montreal Alouettes team signed a two-year contract with Sam. He became the first openly gay player in the CFL.

June 12, 2015— Sam left Alouettes for “personal reasons” and was placed on the suspended list.

June 26, 2015— Sam returned to Alouettes and started practicing with the team.

August 7, 2015— Sam played for the first time, but did not record a tackle against the Ottawa Red and Black team. This will be his only game in the CFL.

August 14, 2015— Sam retired from professional football. Sam wrote on Twitter:

“The past 12 months have been so difficult for me, that I began to worry about my mental health. Therefore, I will quit the game at this time. I thank Alouettes for giving me this opportunity and hope to return to the game soon. Thank you all for your Understanding and support.”




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