Michael Sam, the first openly gay
player to be drafted by the NFL, tells Oprah Winfrey that he's heard
from other gay men in the NFL.
On Saturday, cabler OWN: Oprah Winfrey
Network will premiere Michael Sam, a 90-minute documentary on
Sam's life.
The 24-year-old Sam, the SEC defensive
player of the year in 2013, was cut by the St. Louis Rams before the
start of the season. He then joined the Cowboys' 10-man practice
squad, where he stayed for seven weeks before being let go.
In an exclusive interview to be
broadcast following the film's premiere, Sam sits down with Oprah
Winfrey.
In a sneak peek from the interview,
Winfrey
asks Sam, “Gay men in the NFL reached out to you and called
you?” as Sam nods in agreement.
“They were thankful that I had the
courage,” Sam
answered. “They wished that they had the courage to come out.”
“There's a lot of us out there. I'm
not the only one. I'm just the only one who's open,” he added.