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St. Louis Rams Sign Michael Sam to Historic, 4-Year, $2.65M Contract

PHOTOS: GETTY North America

The St. Louis Rams have signed Michael Sam to an historic rookie contract. The 24-year-old defensive end and former star player at the University of Missouri made history in May when he became the first openly gay football player selected in the National Football League draft. The Rams have now signed "all 11 players selected by the team last month at Radio City Music Hall, according to a team source," reported NFL.com on Thursday.

The team later confirmed the signings.

Sam signed a "four-year, $2.65 million contract, with $46,000 of it guaranteed," reported Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. 

Michael Sam later tweeted: "Grateful, humbled, and motivated after officially signing with all my Rams rookie brothers. Let's do this!! #RamUp "

The 6-foot-2, 260-pound Mizzou senior was voted the 2013 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, was named a first-team all-American and was voted Missouri's most valuable player. Missouri finished its season 12-2 and Sam helped lead the team to its Cotton Bowl victory. 

Sam made history last February when he became the first Division I college football player to come out as gay. He also becomes the second openly gay athlete to play in the rarefied "Big Four"—the National Football League, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League. Twelve year NBA veteran Jason Collins became the first openly gay player in the "Big Four" earlier this year. The 35-year-old Collins came out in April 2013 and was signed by the Brooklyn Nets in February.

Former Washington Redskins player Wade Davis, former Division I basketball player Will Sheridan and former American Basketball Association player DeMarco Majors discussed the landscape for professional Black gay athletes with me in the award-winning and critically-acclaimed 2012 anthology For Colored Boys Who Have Considered  Suicide When the Rainbow is Not Enough. The book was edited by television commentator Keith Boykin.

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LISTEN LIVE: Philadelphia's WURD Radio 5P/ET

Join me this afternoon on Philadelphia's WURD 900AM at 500ET on The Nick Taliafero Show. On the menu: The National Basketball Association's decision to ban Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling's from the league, Boko Haram's terrorist campaign in Nigeria and the St. Louis Rams' historic selection of openly gay defensive end Michael Sam in the NFL draft.

Listen live HERE. The call in number is 866-361-0900.

Obama Congratulates Michael Sam

PHOTO: GETTY

President Obama applauded the St. Louis Rams' selection of Michael Sam in the NFL draft over the weekend, reports USA Today. The University of Missouri's superstar defensive lineman made history as the first openly gay player in the National Football League.

"The President congratulates Michael Sam, the Rams and the NFL for taking an important step forward in our Nation's journey," said a White House statement. "From the playing field to the corporate boardroom, LGBT Americans prove everyday that you should be judged by what you do and not who you are."

Sam's selection in the NFL draft created a substantial digital footprint across social media, reports ABC News.

"Sam may also make history for being the most tweeted-about draft pick. Just 40 minutes after being drafted, there were already about 110,000 tweets referencing Michael Sam or @MikeSamFootball, including tweets from the Rams, the NFL, and supportive teammates."

Michael Sam made history last February when he became the first Division I college football player to come out as gay. He also becomes the second openly gay athlete to play in the rarefied "Big Four"—the National Football League, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League.

Meanwhile: There have been two other historic developments in sports recently made by Black gay athletes. Twelve year NBA veteran Jason Collins came out in April 2013 and was signed by the Brooklyn Nets in February. Twenty-two-year-old University of Massachusetts basketball phenom Derrick Gordon made history on April 9 when he publicly came out to become the first active and openly gay basketball player in NCAA Division I history. 

Former Washington Redskins and Seattle Seahawks player Wade Davis, former Division I basketball player Will Sheridan and former American Basketball Association player DeMarco Majors discussed the landscape for professional Black gay athletes with me in the award-winning and critically-acclaimed 2012 anthology For Colored Boys Who Have Considered  Suicide When the Rainbow is Not Enough. The book was edited by television commentator Keith Boykin.

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St. Louis Rams Select Michael Sam in NFL Draft

PHOTO: GETTY

Yasss! Michael Sam has made history as the first openly gay player in the National Football League. The University of Missouri's superstar defensive lineman was drafted tonight in the seventh round and as the 249th out of 256 overall picks in the 2014 NFL Draft, reports USA Today.

"For Michael, it's a little bit of relief that it's over, and you can finally say you're part of the NFL family. That is a dream come true for so many football players. That's a realization that all his hard work has paid off," gay former NFL player Wade Davis, the executive director of the You Can Play Project, told USA TODAY Sports. "Now he can really start to focus on his new journey." 

Sam's addition to an NFL roster is a watershed moment for the league that has taken significant steps in recent months to prepare for its first openly gay player. ... [But]  as the seventh round began with Sam still undrafted, his status became the most compelling storyline in the final stage of the three-day draft. ESPN, who had a camera with Sam in San Diego, had reporter Shelley Smith broadcasting live from a watch party at a gay bar in West Hollywood, while the hastag #SamFans united Sam's supporters online.

The 6-foot-2, 260-pound Mizzou senior was voted the 2013 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, was named a first-team all-American and was voted Missouri's most valuable player. Missouri finished its season 12-2 and Sam helped lead the team to its Cotton Bowl victory. 

Despite that impressive background, Sam's potential has been in question ever since underperforming at the NFL Combine. Why was he selected so late into the draft and behind players with much less talent? , asks the New York Times.

At a public workout a month later, he improved at quantifiable athletic assessments like the 40-yard dash, his measured vertical leap and the number of times he bench-pressed 225 pounds, but a survey of various predraft rankings this week still listed him from 12th to 25th among defensive ends.

Sam, the 249th player taken out of 256, was passed over for a punter, an offensive lineman from McGill University in Montreal and a defensive end from Concordia St. Paul, a small college football program in Minnesota that had never had a player chosen in the draft. A defensive end from Marist was also chosen before Sam. Though Sam was drafted, the N.F.L. may still come under fire for not doing enough to promote inclusiveness. The league is already grappling with a bullying scandal and has been criticized for not doing enough to promote black coaches.

Michael Sam made history last February when he became the first Division I college football player to come out as gay. He also becomes the second openly gay athlete to play in the rarefied "Big Four"—the National Football League, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League. Twelve year NBA veteran Jason Collins came out in April 2013 and was signed by the Brooklyn Nets in February. 

In other news: VISA signed an endorsement deal with Michael Sam earlier this week. The newly-drafted St. Louis Rams defensive end has also been awarded the prestigious Arthur Ashe. Sam will receive "the award given to individuals who transcend sports" at the 2014 ESPYS on July 16. 

Wade Davis, former Division I basketball player Will Sheridan and former American Basketball Association player DeMarco Majors discussed the landscape for professional Black gay athletes with me in the award-winning and critically-acclaimed 2012 anthology For Colored Boys Who Have Considered  Suicide When the Rainbow is Not Enough. The book was edited by television commentator Keith Boykin.

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VIDEO: Michael Sam Signs with VISA, Wins Arthur Ashe Award

VISA has signed an endorsement deal with Michael Sam, who could make history to become the first active openly gay player in the National Football League. It's the first endorsement deal for the superstar defensive lineman of the University of Missouri.

The 43 second spot will be featured on VISA's online campaigns. Watch it AFTER THE JUMP ...

The SEC Defensive Player of the Year is seen working out. A voiceover urges the viewer to judge him "for running a 4.91 at the Combine" or "a blown tackle on the outside rush"—and not for what he does off the field.

"We felt that Michael’s story was a perfect fit for our ‘everywhere’ campaign, which is meant to inspire people to reach their own personal goals and aspirations," Visa’s chief marketing officer, Kevin Burke, told ESPN.com. "We wish Michael the best on and off the field as he embarks on the next chapter of his life."

Michael Sam has also been awarded the prestigious Arthur Ashe. Sam will receive "the award given to individuals who transcend sports" at the 2014 ESPYS on July 16. The award is presented by ESPN.

Sam made history last February when he became the first Division I college football player to come out as gay. The 6-foot-2 player is the 2013 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, was named a first-team all-American and was voted Missouri's most valuable player.

The NFL Draft began yesterday and continues through Saturday. Sam has not been selected so far but could become a late draft pick tomorrow. Sam could also become an undrafted free agent in the coming days. Watch the new spot AFTER THE JUMP ...

Brooklyn Nets Sign Jason Collins for the Remaining Season

PHOTO: GETTY North America

Brilliant! The Brooklyn Nets have signed Jason Collins for the remainder of the season, reports ESPN.com.

Sources told ESPN.com on Tuesday that the Nets, who feel they're getting everything they expected from Collins when they signed him for frontcourt depth Feb. 23, are already operating under the premise that the 34-year-old will finish the season with them even though his second 10-day deal doesn't expire until after Friday. Sources say that the internal expectation all along was that Collins would be a Net for the rest of the season, from the moment he signed his first 10-day deal, as long he proved that he could still be an effective defender, which he did immediately.

The 7-foot and 35-year-old Collins is averaging about ten minutes playing time per game in eight appearances since his groundbreaking debut against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 24. That's when he made history as the first openly gay player in the rarefied "Big Four"—the National Football League, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball or the National Hockey League. 

The twelve-year NBA veteran publicly came out in April 2013  in a self-written article published in Sports Illustrated. The first sentence was: “I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay.”Collins had been playing with the Washington Wizards. Since the article's publication, he had not been resigned or invited to training camp by any of the league's 30 teams ... until the Nets signed him for his first ten-day contract in late February. Collins made his first appearance with the Houston Rockets in 2001. Collins averaged 3.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in a 12-year NBA career.

Meanwhile: The University of Missouri's star defense player Michael Sam is preparing to enter the NFL draft as pro football’s first openly gay player. The 2014 NFL Draft begins on Thursday, May 8 and ends on Saturday, May 10. Bravo and many congratulations to these incredible men. It's amazing to witness these brothas making history.

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Jason Collins Signs with Nets to Become 1st Openly Gay NBA Player

Jason Collins is expected to suit up with the Brooklyn Nets tonight to play against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center, reports ESPN. Collins reportedly signed a 10-day contract with the Nets.

Collins came out as openly gay last year. Collins will make history as the first openly gay player in the rarefied "Big Four"—the NFL, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball or the National Hockey League.

The Nets moved quickly to make the historic signing of the 35-year-old free agent center to have another big body available against the Lakers. Brooklyn had been contemplating signing Collins for the past week and the need for Collins became greater after the Nets dealt rebounding specialist Reggie Evans to theSacramento Kings last week. 

ESPN.com reported that the Nets quietly auditioned Collins last week in Los Angeles, paving the way from him to rejoin the franchise he spent his first six-plus seasons in the league. ... The Nets are an organization filled with Collins supporters and experienced players less likely to be fazed by the likely media blitz that the signing will inevitably spark. Over the last couple of days, several Nets players have publicly voiced their support for signing Collins.

The free agent and twelve-year NBA veteran came out in April 2013  in self-written article published in Sports Illustrated. The first sentence was: “I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay.”Collins had been playing with the Washington Wizards. Since then, he had not been resigned or invited to training camp by any of the league's 30 teams. Collins averaged 3.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in a 12-year NBA career.

The 7-foot and 35-year-old Collins was born in Los Angeles and attended Stanford with his twin brother. Collins has been to the playoffs in nine of his 12 seasons with the NBA. He has played for the New Jersey Nets, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics and was positioned at center for the Washington Wizards.

John Amaechi, who was the first former NBA player to come out as gay, told me last spring that  he was not surprised the first out, active male player would be from the NBA. "I expect that the next three or four" professional sports players to come out could also be Black players,  Amaechi told me in "Jason Collins Has “Reframed the Conversation” Around Sports, Blacks and Homophobia" for EBONY.

"The media incorrectly assumed that ‘the first’ player would be White and probably from hockey or baseball," author and activist Darnell L. Moore told EBONY. Moore and former NFL player Wade Davis have co-founded You Belong, a sports leadership initiative for LGBT youth. "The majority of the NBA and the NFL’s players are Black, so, to me it came as no surprise."

This news comes only weeks after University of Missouri's star player and defensive end Michael Sam announced that he is gay. Sam is currently at the NFL Combine and is not expected to make his official NFL debut until the fall. The 6-foot-2, 260-pound Mizzou senior is considered a top NFL draft pick. He is the 2013 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, was named a first-team all-American and was voted Missouri's most valuable player. Missouri finished its season 12-2 and Sam helped lead the team to its Cotton Bowl victory.

Wade Davis, former Division I basketball player Will Sheridan and former American Basketball Association player DeMarco Majors discussed the landscape for professional Black gay athletes with me in the award-winning and critically-acclaimed 2012 anthology For Colored Boys Who Have Considered  Suicide When the Rainbow is Not Enough. The book was edited by television commentator Keith Boykin.

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REPORT: NFL Execs' Homophobic Comments on Michael Sam

PHOTOS: GETTY North America

Keep it classy, boys.

Sports Illustrated greeted the historic news of University of Missouri's superstar defensive lineman Michael Sam's coming out with a collective sigh. SI published its reaction piece only minutes after the announcement ... which quoted eight anonymous sources within the National Football League. The ugliest comment was made by a personnel player assistant:

"I don't think football is ready for it just yet. In the coming decade or two, it's going to be acceptable, but at this point in time it's still a man's man game. To call somebody a [gay slur] is still so commonplace. It'd chemically imbalance an NFL locker room and meeting room."

Another anonymous assistant coach described Sam's decision as "not a smart move." SI claims that "multiple executives" questioned the decision to come out as well.

Sam apparently came out to his Mizzou teammates last August before the 2013 season. The coaches and players supported and protected him. The team went 12-2 in the SEC and won the Cotton Bowl. Obviously there were no "locker room" issues.

The comments are a sobering reminder that the 24-year-old player faces an uphill battle in the hyper-masculine and homophobic culture of the NFL.

Sam made history to become the first Division I college football player to come out as gay. The 6-foot-2, 260-pound Mizzou senior is a top NFL draft pick. Sam is the 2013 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, was named a first-team all-American and was voted Missouri's most valuable player. SI minimized Sam's accomplishments and claimed the player was "divisive."

Others see Sam ... as an undersized defensive end without a true position in the NFL. Of his 11.5 sacks, nine came in three games against what one scout called "garbage competition"—Vanderbilt, Arkansas State and Florida. "His numbers are inflated," a scout said.

The Southeastern Conference is the most competitive conference in the NCAA Division I. So now the 2013 SEC Defensive Player of the Year's numbers are "inflated"? Heehee. You keep telling yourself that, hon.

Former NFL player Wade Davis, former Division I basketball player Will Sheridan and former American Basketball Association player DeMarco Majors discussed the landscape for professional Black gay athletes with me in the award-winning and critically-acclaimed 2012 anthology For Colored Boys Who Have Considered  Suicide When the Rainbow is Not Enough. The book was edited by television commentator Keith Boykin.

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Missouri's Michael Sam Becomes 1st Openly Gay Div I Football Player

Bravo. University of Missouri's superstar defensive lineman Michael Sam has made history to become the first Division I college football player to come out as gay.

The 6-foot-2, 260-pound Mizzou senior is a top NFL draft pick. He is the 2013 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, was named a first-team all-American and was voted Missouri's most valuable player. Sam is expected to be drafted in the early rounds of the NFL draft in May and is on track to become the first openly gay in the National Football League.

The 24-year-old Sam made the public statement to the New York Times.

"I just want to make sure I could tell my story the way I want to tell it," said Mr. Sam who also spoke with ESPN on Sunday. "I just want to own my truth." ...

Mr. Sam said he began to wonder if he was gay in his early teens, though he had a girlfriend in high school. It was after he arrived at Missouri in 2009 that he realized for certain that he was gay. Teammates increasingly suspected as much, and some knew that he dated a man on the university’s swim team, but it never prevented Mr. Sam from being one of the most popular players on the team.

The footballer said he decided to come out publicly now because he believed there were rumors.

But the N.F.L. presents the potential for unusual challenges. In the past year or so, the league has been embroiled in controversies ranging from antigay statements from players to reports that scouts asked at least one prospective player if he liked girls.

At a showcase game for college seniors last month, several scouts asked Mr. Sam’s agent, Joe Barkett, questions about whether Mr. Sam had a girlfriend or whether Mr. Barkett had seen him with women.

Missouri finished its season 12-2 and Sam helped lead the team to its Cotton Bowl victory. Sam is expected to train intensely between now and the NFL Combine in May. "I’m not naïve," he said. "I know this is a huge deal and I know how important this is. But my role as of right now is to train for the combine and play in the N.F.L."

Michael Sam would become the first openly gay male player in the rarefied "Big Four"—the NFL, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball or the National Hockey League. Free agent and twelve-year NBA veteran Jason Collins came out in April 2013. Collins had been playing with the Wizards. He has not been resigned.

John Amaechi, who was the first former NBA player to come out as gay, told me last spring that  he was not surprised the first out, active male player would be from the NBA. "I expect that the next three or four" professional sports players to come out could also be Black players,  Amaechi told me in "Jason Collins Has “Reframed the Conversation” Around Sports, Blacks and Homophobia" for EBONY.

"The media incorrectly assumed that ‘the first’ player would be White and probably from hockey or baseball," author and activist Darnell L. Moore told EBONY. Moore and former NFL player Wade Davis have co-founded You Belong, a sports leadership initiative for LGBT youth. "The majority of the NBA and the NFL’s players are Black, so, to me it came as no surprise."

Wade Davis, former Division I basketball player Will Sheridan and former American Basketball Association player DeMarco Majors discussed the landscape for professional Black gay athletes with me in the award-winning and critically-acclaimed 2012 anthology For Colored Boys Who Have Considered  Suicide When the Rainbow is Not Enough. The book was edited by television commentator Keith Boykin.