Free Agent Michael Sam: ‘I’m not the only gay NFL player’

Michael Sam gained recognition throughout the nation when he became the first openly gay football player to get drafted. Now, Sam, who was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round, has opened up about his decision to come out before entering the league.

"Was it a risky move? Yes. But at that moment, the reason why I came out is I thought it wasn't going to be a big deal. Maybe I was naive. Maybe I thought it was 2014, and people will understand that there's gay NFL players. There's gay athletes everywhere. But I was clearly wrong. It was a huge deal," the defensive end said.

Sam also talked about homosexuality within the league.

"I'm not the only gay person in the NFL," Sam, 25, said according to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "I'm just saying there is a lot of us. I respect the players that did reach out to me and had the courage to tell me that they were also gay, but they do not have the same courage as I do to come out before I even played a down in the NFL."

He added, "The players who have reached out to me and told me about their sexual orientation, it just means a lot. But I will never say anything about who they are, what teams they are [on]. I'm just saying there's some famous people, and I'm not the only one."

Although Sam was drafted, he has never played in a professional football game. He did not end up making it onto the Rams' practice squad and was picked up by the Dallas Cowboys, who ended up waiving him.

Sam recently participated in the inaugural veteran combine for another shot at the NFL. His fastest 40-yard dash was clocked in at 5:07, a time that will most likely not get him a spot on an NFL team this year. Despite this, Sam is confident that he will be playing football, even if it is in the CFL (Canadian Football League). He also stated that he does not believe that he is being discriminated against based on his sexuality.

"Dancing with the Stars is my employer. That's my main source of income. ... I'm unemployed, and I don't believe I'm out of the NFL because I'm gay. But if it was a reason, it can hurt their livelihood, and you don't want to take that chance," Sam said.

Sam is currently a contestant on the ABC hit show, "Dancing with the Stars." Sam, who is partnered with Peta Murgatroyd, made it past the first week of competition.