Michael Sam Faces First Press Conference Since Announcing He Is Gay

NFL Draft prospect Michael Sam yesterday as part of the NFL Combine "faced questions from reporters in a news conference setting" for the first time since he announced he is gay. Sam held a 15-minute session "in front of nearly 1,000 reporters that was aired coast-to-coast not only on the NFL Network, but also CNN." He said, "A trailblazer? I feel like I’m Michael Sam. I just wish you guys would just see me as Michael Sam the football player, instead of Michael Sam the gay football player" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/23).

Sam "displayed a sense of humor, humility and perspective that would serve any pro prospect well, gay or not" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 2/23). He was "poised, engaging and willing to answer every query" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 2/23). Sam said that so far in interviews with teams, no one "has asked him about being gay" (PHILLY.com, 2/22).