Michael Sam, a standout defensive end for the Missouri Tigers, came out to the public Sunday night in an interview with Sports Illustrated, The New York Times and other media outlets. He is the first All-American and potential NFL player to do so, yet many owners, executives, players and other staffers within the league think it's a bad idea.
Sam helped the Tigers win the 2013 SEC East Championship and a berth in the SEC Championship Game in which they lost to the Auburn Tigers. He also helped seal a victory in the 2014 AT&T Cotton Bowl against the Oklahoma State Cowboys when he sacked the OSU quarterback and knocked the ball out and one of his teammates scooped it up and ran it back for a touchdown. Sam helped lead the Missouri Tigers to a 12-2 record this season, one of the best seasons the team has seen. Sam also led the SEC in tackles for loss with 19 and sacks with 11.5 while being named the SEC co-defensive player of the year.
Those are stats from just this year alone, so I don't understand how NFL organizations can say they wouldn't be comfortable drafting an openly gay athlete. It's 2014, and we have come a long way. Ten years ago, Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legalize gay marriage and many others have followed suit. I think many more will continue to follow until all 50 states have legalized it.
I have read a few articles from Bleacher Report, ESPN and The New York Times stating that employees of the NFL -players, general managers and player personnel staffers- have gone on and off the record saying that the NFL is not ready for a gay player. They are afraid of the media surrounding the team, the chemistry in the locker room and other miniscule problems.
I believe the NFL is ready now. Maybe they will have to teach sensitivity classes at training camps or fine players for using racial, homophobic or any other derogatory term, but the timing has never been better with the Winter Olympics happening in Sochi and Russia's oppression of the LGBT community being exposed.
Sam came out to his Missouri teammates in August right before the season started. So, the chemistry between players should not be a problem. If a college football team comprised of 18 to 22 year olds who are still young and immature can handle having a teammate be gay, why couldn't the NFL, which is comprised of mature, professional athletes?
New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma said he didn't think an openly gay player would be as accepted as much as the NFL thinks he would. I don't know if it's because they are afraid of being naked with the possibility of being looked at by another man who is gay. Just because someone is gay does not mean the person is attracted to everybody of the same-sex they come in contact with, similar to how straight people don't think every woman or man they see is attractive. I doubt Mr. Vilma has anything to be worried about.
And the extra media that would come with drafting Sam shouldn't scare off teams. Take a look at the past few years when teams have been surrounded with media attention due to players getting in trouble or being in a spotlight. The Eagles signed Michael Vick after being released from prison for fighting dogs. The team went 11-6 and made the playoffs even though they lost in the first round in his first year as the starter.
The Eagles also went into this season with a lot of controversy after wide receiver Riley Cooper was caught on video at a Kenny Chesney concert calling a security guard a racial slur. The chemistry in the locker room was in jeopardy, but the Eagles righted the ship and Cooper played a huge role in leading the Eagles to the playoffs - also losing in the first round.
And lastly, the amount of media outlets surrounding the New England Patriots this offseason and preseason after star tight end Aaron Hernandez was accused of murdering Odin Lloyd in June. The Patriots were one game away from playing in the Super Bowl.
Therefore, the extra media at training camps and in the locker rooms shouldn't have an effect on whichever team drafts him - outside of Cleveland or Dallas, they are always out of whack.
Michael Sam should be congratulated for coming out as a gay athlete in a time in which it is still hard for people who don't have a national platform to do so. He is a brave man for playing football at a high level, and he is an even braver man for coming out. I don't understand why an NFL team wouldn't want such a brave individual in their organization.
Sam, in an interview with The New York Times, said, "I don't want to be defined as Michael Sam, the gay athlete or gay football player. I want to be defined as Michael Sam for being a great person, for great character."
He doesn't want to be known for his sexual orientation. He wants to be known for how he interacts with the community and what he does for others.
In his interview, he also said he may be the first player to come out but he definitely won't be the last, which is true.
Since Sunday night, I have found myself comparing Michael Sam to the late Jackie Robinson. Robinson is known for being one of the first African-Americans to play Major League Baseball. And to me, they are quite similar. Robinson broke the color barrier, while Sam is breaking the sexual orientation barrier in pro sports.
Robinson had to put up with fans throwing bottles at him, threatening to murder him and racial slur after racial slur. As much as I hate it and do not want to see it, Sam will be subject to gay slurs and other hateful and harmful consequences.
But after listening to his interview and reading articles about him, I think he has a good head on his shoulders and will learn how to keep his cool and let it transform into how he plays on the field - where people should really judge him.
I think whoever decides to choose Michael Sam in this year's NFL Draft will be one lucky team, because his sexual orientation shouldn't define him but his ability to perform on the field should. They will also have one of the bravest professional athletes that I, or any of you, will ever witness.
