Oprah Grills Michael Sam: Did The NFL Drop You Because You're Gay?
Oprah Winfrey interviews Michael Sam as part of OWN's long-awaited documentary about the out football player, and she's not pitching any softballs. (Sorry for the mixed sports metaphor.)
In his first official interview since being cut from the Dallas Cowboys, Winfrey point-blank asks Sam, "Do you think now that the reason why you’re not with a team because you’re not good enough or because you are gay?"
Earlier this month, Sam told TMZ about his absence from the NFL, "I don’t think it had to do with talent.”
The 24-year-old defensive end also reveals to Winfrey that he received criticism—from fans, players and NFL management—for kissing boyfriend Vito when he learned he was drafted by the Rams.
And Sam had doubts himself about his choice to come out.
The draft was the longest three days of my life. I went upstairs and then I was thinking, should I have came out? Did I make the right choice of coming out and telling the world I was gay?
And then I’m looking outside, through the window, and I’m thinking that, and then I felt a hand all over my shoulder and that person was Vito. And in that moment I was like, I don’t care what happens. I made the right choice to come out.
He was ultimately chosen by the St. Louis Rams at this year's NFL draft, but was dropped by the team in the preseason. He was later signed to the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad, but was again axed last month.
The 90-minute special was originally intended to be a series, but Sam nixed filming after his coach said it was too distracting. Winfrey sits down with Sam immediately following the doc for a special episode of Oprah Prime.
See preview clips from Michael Sam below.
Michael Sam airs on Sunday, December 27, at 9pm on OWN, followed by a sit-down interview between Sam and Oprah Winfrey at 10:30pm.
