Pride Week brings NFL player Michael Sam to CWU campus

Michael+Sam+came+during+Pride+Week+to+speak+to+CWU+students%2C+faculty%2C+and+staff+about+being+one+of+the+first+openly+gay+NFL+players.+

McKenzie Lakey

Michael Sam came during Pride Week to speak to CWU students, faculty, and staff about being one of the first openly gay NFL players.

Kailan Manandic, Senior News Reporter

Michael Sam, the first openly gay NFL player, spoke at Central Washington University last Wednesday during its annual Pride Week.

Students, faculty and community members gathered to hear Sam talk and answer questions about his personal journey towards self-acceptance.

The talk was open to the public and amassed a crowd of over 100 people. Sam spoke mainly about his experiences and path to coming out. According to Sam, football was the biggest influence on his life.

“I owe everything to football,” he said, “it gave me an education, it taught me how to be a man and how to treat people with respect.”

After his college football career, Sam made history in 2014 when he publicly came out and became the first openly gay player ever drafted in the NFL. Sam spent time with the St. Louis Rams and Dallas Cowboys and is currently looking to re-enter the NFL.

Additionally, Sam competed on the 20th season of Dancing with the Stars in 2015.

Sam said self-acceptance was the most difficult part of initially coming out as gay.

“It wasn’t until that first camp in August [2013] that I was really comfortable with who I was,” he said, “I stood in front of my teammates and said ‘My name is Michael Sam, I’m from Hitchcock, Texas, my major is sports management and I am gay.’”

According to Sam, this was the first time he said he was gay and changed his life for the better.

Sam is currently working on a book and a side project that will share the personal stories of some of his fans.

“Life is bigger than football” he said “you guys have no idea how many stories out there go unheard and if we just take the time to stop and listen to these people’s stories, it can really make a difference.”