Without even stepping foot onto the field for a regular season game, Michael Sam, the first openly gay player to be drafted in the NFL, has been released from the St. Louis Rams. This news comes after Sam completed a pre-season game in which he led the team in tackles against the Miami Dolphins. Despite getting six tackles, Jeff Fisher, Rams head coach, says Michael’s performance during the game was just okay, “I didn’t really see anything good nor bad out of him,” he said at a press conference.
Michael, along with 20 other players, was cut from the 53-man roster. With this change, Sam will have the option to play for the Rams practice squad. Even though it’s a major blow to be cut from the roster, the practice squad isn’t such a bad place to be financially. The minimum salary requirement for practice squads is $6,300 a week!
The head coach made it clear it was strictly business when deciding to cut Sam saying it was a, “football decision.”
After the announcement, Michael expressed his gratitude to the Rams and is hopeful for his future.
I want to thank the entire Rams organization and the city of St. Louis for giving me this tremendous opportunity and allowing me to (1/2)
— Michael Sam (@MichaelSamNFL) August 30, 2014
show I can play at this level. I look forward to continuing to build on the progress I made here toward a long and successful career (2/2)
— Michael Sam (@MichaelSamNFL) August 30, 2014
He later added:
The most worthwhile things in life rarely come easy, this is a lesson I've always known. The journey continues.
— Michael Sam (@MichaelSamNFL) August 30, 2014
Despite the setback for the former SEC Co-Defender Player of the Year, Michael was in good spirits over the weekend when he and his long term boyfriend, Vito Cammisano, visited their alma mater, The University of Missouri, for the team’s first game of the season (pictured above). You may remember when the happy couple made headlines after ESPN played a video of them sharing a celebratory kiss over news Michael was drafted by the St. Louis Rams.
Sam also made headlines earlier this year when OWN announced it would be documenting the young player’s journey through his first year in the NFL. However, just two days after making that announcement, OWN pulled the plug on the project saying it “has been postponed, allowing Michael the best opportunity to achieve his dreams of making the team,” OWN president Erik Logan said in a statement.
It looks like the decision to hold off on the documentary may have been a good idea after all. On the other hand, Sam’s story might just be that more compelling as he continues to follow his dream after being cut.
Top Photo: Instagram
