Everyone is celebrating Carl Nassib of the Las Vegas Raiders for being the first active NFL player to come out as gay, but there’s another former openly gay NFL player who some say is being left out of the conversation: Michael Sam.
Nassib came out yesterday in a video posted to Instagram.
“I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay,” the 28-year-old said. “I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now but finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my chest. I really have the best life, I’ve got the best family, friends and job a guy can ask for.”
He also announced that he was making a $100,000 donation to the Trevor Project, which works to support LGBTQ youth and prevent suicide.
Almost immediately, Nassib was trending on Twitter. And not long after that, Sam was trending, too.
The former defensive end came out in 2014 and made history when he was drafted by the St. Louis Rams, although he never actually went on to make the roster, and there is still a lot of debate over whether his sexuality played a role in that.
Mike Florio at Pro Football Talk writes:
On one hand, Sam had been the defensive player of the year in the SEC. On the other hand, he didn’t have ideal size or speed to become a high-end NFL pass rusher. He almost wasn’t drafted; some in league circles still believe that then-Rams coach Jeff Fisher made the pick at the behest of Commissioner Roger Goodell. After Fisher cut Sam, Peter King reported that the league called around to the various NFL teams to find a spot for Sam on a practice squad. Ultimately, the Cowboys did it. But Sam never made it to a 53-man roster.
Florio notes that “impossible to know whether it would have been different for Sam if he weren’t gay, or if he had chosen to keep his sexuality private” but that he was always “at risk of being cut” given where he landed on the roster–as pick number 249 out of 256.
Conor Orr at Sports Illustrated has a slightly different take:
Sam, essentially, gave up his dream of playing football to be the league and media’s crash test dummy, as everyone in football’s orbit pinballed through ways to have thoughtful and productive conversations about sexuality and acceptance in the locker room.
Here’s what folx on Twitter are saying about it…
I’m happy for Carl but when Michael Sam came out all this energy being displayed today wasn’t the same for him.
— duranb. (@NHVSN) June 22, 2021
Shout out to Michael Sam. pic.twitter.com/4QYpcPGHEs
— Dino-Ray “Thotyssey” Ramos (@DinoRay) June 22, 2021
Having flashbacks to the insane news circus around Michael Sam coming out. And it seems like an entirely crazy, far away era. It was 2014.
— Sam Stein (@samstein) June 21, 2021
Michael Sam was the first—he got chased out of the NFL.
— Rebecca Phillips Epstein (@thephillistein) June 22, 2021
Let’s not forget how the NFL did Michael Sam
— Shon ???? (@gayblackvet) June 21, 2021
I hope the NFL has Carl Nassib’s back and they don’t do him like they did Michael Sam
— Dre ? (@Clapped_Dre) June 21, 2021
Semi-related: I know lots of football people think Michael Sam was bad and that was the end of the story but I also don’t think he truly got a fair shot at making an NFL roster. We might never agree on this and that’s fine but I really do wish he’d come along a few years later
— Joel D. Anderson (@byjoelanderson) June 22, 2021
Not tryna shit on nassib but i remember Michael Sam coming out and he was essentially removed from the league. Now Nassib comes out and and everyone is happy for him ????
— #RespektTheSpecs??? (@Troyskilover6) June 22, 2021
Major props to Carl Nassib for blazing the trail.
But he shouldn’t be the first “active” NFL player to be openly gay. The NFL should’ve given Michael Sam a better chance to break that barrier seven years ago.
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) June 21, 2021
I keep thinking about how dirty the world did Michael Sam. How dirty they do Black queer men in general, really.
— Dr. Jon Paul (They/Them/Tired)?????? (@DoctorJonPaul) June 22, 2021
And then there is Sam himself.
This morning, the 31-year-old tweeted two statements. The first was a message of support to Nassib and the second was a message of support to the LGBTQ community.
“Carl Nassib thank you for owning your truth and especially your donation to the @TrevorProject,” the first tweet read. “LBGTQ people are more likely to commit suicide than heterosexuals. I hope and pray people will take note to this. Thank you again Carl and look forward to seeing you play on the field.”
Carl Nassib thank you for owning your truth and especially your donation to the @TrevorProject. LBGTQ people are more likely to commit suicide than heterosexuals. I hope and pray people will take note to this. Thank you again Carl and look forward to seeing you play on the field.
— Michael Sam (@MichaelSam52) June 22, 2021
He followed that up with another tweet, writing: “To anyone young or old, black or white, straight or gay are being bullied by others please know this, I stand with you in your time of need and in your hour of triumph, I am your friend and your brother. Even though I may never see you, hug you, or even kiss you, I love you.”
To anyone young or old, black or white, straight or gay are being bullied by others please know this, I stand with you in your time of need and in your hour of triumph, I am your friend and your brother. Even though I may never see you, hug you, or even kiss you, I love you ?
— Michael Sam (@MichaelSam52) June 22, 2021
Graham Gremore is the Features Editor and a Staff Writer at Queerty. Follow him on Twitter @grahamgremore.
Donston
What happened to Michael Sam simply shouldn’t have happened. But he has to shoulder some of the blame. Making out with his bf when he got drafted, he should have known America (or at least a percentage obsessed with football) wasn’t ready for all that. Signing up to do a reality show before he even played in the NFL was a mistake. Doing a handful of interviews before getting drafted was a misstep as well. It felt too much like he was looking for the spotlight rather than focused on playing in the league. And that allowed the NFL to use that as an excuse. Of course, none of the things Michael did would have mattered if not for male homophobia, hetero pressures, toxic masculinity, queer insecurities, religious shaming, etc. But the initial breakthrough was always gonna have to come from someone established in the league.
maddog
I agree with much of what you said except for the phrase “shoulder some of the blame”. The “blame” should have been solidly on society, for the homophobic treatment that people spew.
If there was no homophobia than whatever happened to Michael Sam would have been easy to determine. He played football, and like so many others eventually transitioned out due to his skills or lack of them. None of his success or failure would even have been hinted as being effected by his sexuality.
I think Michael Sam’s statements on Twitter showed a class act.
Donston
“Shoulder some of the blame” as far as not playing in the NFL. If a “straight” player who wasn’t an obvious first round pick was giving tons of interviews before the draft, and if they signed up to do a reality show before even playing a second in the league, they as well would have to shoulder some blame for never playing in the league. But yes, male homophobia, toxic masculinity and anti-gay viewpoints were definitely the biggest reason he got shunned and never was given a real chance. I also feel like the media sabotaged and exploited a rather impressionable young person who just wanted to be accepted, kinda helped cost him a potential future in the league, and then casted him aside when he was no longer a trending story.
Kangol2
I don’t think that anyone should ever forget Michael Sam took an incredibly brave set of steps, to be out before being drafted, to not hide his relationship, and to believe that the NFL and the team drafting him were acting in good faith. I don’t think either was, though they put on a good show for the cameras. Was he ready for what he was going to encounter? Probably not. Did he have the psychological and emotional support he needed? Certainly not. Did he make some missteps? Yes. But nevertheless he still took those steps, and they opened the door for Carl Nassib, Ryan Russell, and everyone else who’ll follow. All of these men, along with their predecessors who came out after retiring or made it to practice squads (Dave Kopay, Roy Simmons, Esera Tuaolo, Kwame Harris, Ryan O’Callaghan, Wade Davis, etc.) deserve praise in general.
Inspector 57
WORD!!!
Fahd
There’s been a lot of progress in the last years, and of course Nassib, being in the 3rd year of his multimillion dollar contract comes out from a position of much greater strength.
Still, it seems like it’s one step forward, one step back sometimes. Here in the U.S. Nassib’s coming out can be celebrated.
In Europe, on the other hand, UEFA has forbidden the lighting of the Munich stadium with the rainbow colors in the match between Germany and Hungary – Hungary’s parliament just passed a law prohibiting “homosexual propaganda” (see Russia), and UEFA said lighting the German stadium with rainbow colors for the Germany-Hungary match would be a “political statement”. Sad!
ericm
Where is Michael Sam in all this? He is the last cobblestone in the path that lead to Carl Nassib. To say anything else, is purely wrong. Sam was never an active player. Nassib is. Sam is not forgotten. He was instrumental in this event. If Sam hadn’t come out before the draft would we be here today? Who knows. But I do know that Nassib has achieved something extra. He came out at the risk of a guarantee contract. We should celebrate both men, not begrudge one or the other of their achievement.
graphicjack
Sam was active in the CFL for a brief time. I saw him play in a game for the Montreal Alouettes against my home team of the Ottawa Rough Riders. He didn’t last long on the team, though. Possibly he wasn’t the best player but I wish he could have had a better shot. Regardless, he made history and it was exciting to watch him play live in a stadium.
mz.sam
Remembering and honoring Michael Sam for being the first. All that aside being 2021, Carl Nassib and Colton Underwood should make a Netflix doc as football’s hot couple.
amanwithanedge
Don’t start trying to rewrite history. been happening a lot in the gay community lately.
Alton
It’s telling that Sam himself isn’t trying to insert himself into this narrative; that it’s just click-hungry websites and perpetually aggrieved a-holes who respond to every instance of progress with a plaintive “WHAT ABOUT….?!”
Sam was the first out gay player drafted to the NFL. Nassib is the first active NFL to come out. They are two different circumstances. Twitter can try to rewrite history all it wants, but most of the people alive in 2014 are still alive: we remember Sam being greeted with overwhelming praise and support. Did Sam get shafted by the NFL anyway? Absolutley. Will Nassib get similarly shafted? Time will tell. What is very clear at this moment is that no one in good faith is trying to cheapen Nassib’s accomplishment by comparing it with Sam’s….least of all Sam. As Nassib himself acknowledged in his coming out announcement, there were many people who blazed the trail for him. “I stand on the shoulders of giants”. Nassib deserves every bit of the praise he’s getting, as did – and does – Sam.
Inspector 57
Personally, I think it was Lady Gaga and Lil Naz X who paved the way for Carl!
(Only half-joking.)
cuteguy
Michael Sam was robbed. But my hope is he will be remembered fondly and also as a trailblazer