Gay NFL Players Are Reaching Out To Michael Sam, Just Not Coming Out
Michael Sam told an audience in Dallas yesterday that he's been contacted by other gay players in the NFL, but he admitted none of them are ready to go public with their sexual orientation.
"I am not the only gay person in the NFL... there is a lot of us," said Sam, now competing on Dancing with the Stars. "I respect the players that did reach out to me and had the courage to tell me that they were also gay. But they do not have the same courage as I do to come out before I even played a down in the NFL."
Sam said it meant a lot to him for those players to come to him, but that he's keeping their names confidential.
"I will never say anything about who they are, what teams they are [on]. I'm just saying there's some famous people—and I'm not the only one."
He acknowledged coming out before the 2014 NFL draft was a "risky move," but didn't expect it to become the "huge deal" it turned into.
"I don't believe that I'm being discriminated [against] because I'm gay," he said. "I just want to know if I'm truly not in the NFL, it's because of talent. Let it be because of my talents. But you've got to prove that I can't play this game. If you look at the film, clearly I can. So, I'll leave it at that.."
Sam was recently invited to attend the league's first-ever veteran combine, and says he's confident he'll find a spot on another team soon. He's also expressed interest in an offer from the Canadian Football League.
