Michael Sam’s Dream Is Our New Reality: He’s Just an NFL Football Player

May 11, 2014   ·   Ty Schalter   ·   Jump to comments

With the 249th pick in the 2014 NFL draft, the St. Louis Rams selected Michael Sam, defensive end, Missouri.
In any other year, the football-watching world wouldn't have even noticed. It's a story we see dozens of times a year: A hard-working, overachieving, good-character guy rides the pipeline between his college program and its in-state NFL team.
A brutal summer of film study, cram sessions, weight machines, protein shakes, sweltering practices and special teams gets him onto the active roster, or maybe a practice squad contract, or maybe just a firm handshake and thanks for his trouble.
Sam, though, isn't just a good kid. He's a consensus first-team All-American, and co-SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
He's also openly gay.
 
A Culture Changed
Sam is the first openly gay NFL player, but he is far from the first gay man to play football. Retired NFL veterans like Wade Davis and Esera Tuaolo played while still in the closet—and gritted t...

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