Gay football player Michael Sam selected for the NFL
By Josh Haggis
American football player Michael Sam has been drafted into the The National Football League (NFL), becoming the first out gay player in NFL history.
The selection makes Sam only the second out gay athlete to compete in any of North America’s four major professional sports leagues – football, baseball, basketball and hockey – after basketball player Jason Collins was selected for the NBA earlier this year.
Sam, 24, was selected by the St Louis Rams team on the seventh and final day of drafting.
The Texan-born player took the sports world by storm in February when he came out after completing his college football career – and later launched his own range of ‘Stand with Sam’ and #SamStrong merchandise.
Sam discussed his sexuality during a press conference shortly after coming out, saying: “I just wish you guys would see me as Michael Sam the football player, not Michael Sam the gay football player.”
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