Michael Sam was projected to be a fourth or fifth round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
It didn’t quite work out that way for Sam and we all know why.
Teams didn’t want to take on a player who will without question become a major distraction given the exaggerated hoopla over his sexual preferences. The St. Louis Rams may want to contact Ringling Bros. because their OTA’s and training camp will become a three-ring circus.
But let’s first talk about the football side of Sam.
He was a productive player during his final season as a Tiger at Missouri and shared SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors with the Ravens CJ Mosley. Sam is all about effort and plays like his hair is on fire. His success owes much to his relentlessness.
But he’s a tweener who doesn’t have the desirable size or burst to be a good edge rusher in the NFL. He doesn’t possess adequate cover skills either, primarily because he’s never really been asked to develop that part of his game.
Add it up and Sam’s NFL career will likely ride on his special teams contributions.
But given all of the background “noise” that comes with Sam, is he really worth all of the distractions? Is the juice worth the squeeze?
Thankfully the Ravens didn’t think so.
This isn’t meant to be an indictment on Sam’s lifestyle. I don’t really care what Sam does during his personal time just like I don’t care what Joe Flacco does on his watch provided nothing that he does, in any way, shape or form hurts the Baltimore Ravens.
I’m just glad as a journalist that I don’t have to deal with Sam. Not only is his partner in life none my business, the redundancy of the story is already boring.
But Sam and the opportunistic media have made it our business.
He knew that his coming out party would be a media magnet and perhaps he’s chosen to fall on his sword for the gay community. Maybe he wants to be the sacrificial lamb for the cause and make it easier for others to make similar choices in the future.
On the surface that seems noble.
But I wonder what Sam’s Ram teammates really think.
Sure they’re all saying the right things today but give it some time. Wait until they are so fed up with answering the predictable questions about being Sam’s teammate. Wait until an even more over-the-top video like ESPN’s staged exhibition on day 3 of the draft surfaces. Wait until they go into hostile territory and they have to listen to the homophobic vitriol that will spew from the mouths of intoxicated fans.
Sam’s teammates could reach a breaking point.
And look, it’s not as though Sam is the first gay man to play in the NFL and he won’t be the last. He’s just the first to make a big deal about it. He could have gone about his business quietly as he did for most of his career at Missouri.
But Sam wanted the hoopla.
He wanted to make a stand and he’s using his NFL celebrity as his stage, and with each passing day the spotlight shines brighter.
In the end it won’t matter what Sam does on the field.
It will always be about Michael Sam, the first openly gay man to play in the National Football League.
Maybe this is what Sam, his partner and the gay community wanted all along – to take his relentlessness on the field to his cause off it.
For a 7th round pick, the 249th in the 2014 NFL Draft, just seven spots removed from Mr. Irrelevant, Sam is anything but.
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