NFL star Michael Sam: I regret coming out publicly
Out NFL star Michael Sam has spoken of his regrets about the way he came out.
Sam made history earlier this year when he came out as gay before being drafted to the St Louis Rams.
He is currently a free agent, having been cut from the Rams and dropped from the Dallas Cowboys practice team.
In an interview with GQ, who chose him as one of their ‘Men Of The Year’ cover stars, he said: “If I had it my way, I never would have done it the way I did, never would have told it the way I did.
“I would have done the same thing I did at Mizzou — which was to tell my team and my coaches and leave it at that.
“But the recruiters knew, and reporters knew, and they talked to each other, and it got out. If I didn’t have the year I did, nobody would have cared.
“But I have no regrets. Some people can argue that I had the potential to go higher in the draft. But I think everything happens for a reason.
“In St. Louis, they welcomed me, but I felt they were just putting smiles on their faces.
“It was because they didn’t know my future. It was almost like the situation with a stray dog — you don’t want to get too close. In Dallas, they were more welcoming.”
He also spoke of his surprise at the reaction, and how he had hoped he might inspire other players to come out too.
“Did I think it was gonna be that huge? No. I thought people would be just, ‘Okay, he came out’. And that would be that. Some thought others would join me. I did, too.”
When asked if he thought that might happen in the future, he said “It will”.
