Michael Sam: 'If I had my way, I really do wish I went undrafted'
Michael Sam wishes he hadn't made history in 2014 by being the first openly gay player ever drafted.
By
John Breech
•
2 min read
Former Rams defensive end Michael Sam made history in 2014 when he became the first openly gay player ever to be drafted into the NFL. If it had been up to Sam though, he wouldn't have made history.
The 25-year-old said on Friday that he wishes he had gone undrafted in May 2014. Sam doesn't have anything against the Rams, he just thinks he would've had a better shot with another team.
"If I had my way, I really do wish I went undrafted," Sam said on The Herd with Colin Cowherd. "I could have actually went to a team who really needed pass rush, and needed a defensive end who could pass rush the quarterback. But the Rams, even though I learned a lot from Chris Long and [Robert] Quinn, I think that I could have done better being on an active roster right now if I went to a different team."
Of course, there are many players in NFL history who probably feel they could've had a better career if they could've picked their own team.
Back to Sam, though. The defensive end was also asked if he thinks he would've made the Rams roster if he had never came out as gay.
"No, I don't think I make the Rams. I think I would be at another team," Sam said.
Sam believes his ties to Missouri might've caused St. Louis to draft him.
"I think going to the Rams, being in Missouri, and the owner is a former alumni as well, and it's in the state where I played football at," Sam said.
After getting drafted, the former SEC Defensive Player of the Year says his new teammates were mostly welcoming, once he proved he could play.
"You know, I'm not going to lie. It was tough. I got some, like, 'Oh, here comes the distraction. How are we going to deal with it?' They didn't know me, until I started to prove myself, that I'm one of the guys, that is when everything changed," Sam said. "I felt more accepted. Guys invited me out to dinners, to their homes with their families. I really felt, I really thought I was going to be part of that organization. I really do wish I was a part of it, but it was tough going through that loaded defensive line."
Sam was cut by St. Louis in August 2014 and eventually signed with the Cowboys' practice squad. After being released in Dallas, Sam went to the CFL, where he played on and off for about three months over the summer.
The seventh-round pick said in September that he plans to pursue his NFL career in 2016 and will spend the next few months working out and preparing for that.
