As Michael Sam preps for draft, NFL teams show interest

One general manager has expressed concern about media attention

National Football League (NFL) hopeful Michael Sam is reportedly sparking interest among a number of teams as draft day approaches, The Baltimore Sun reports.

The Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens have been looking at the former University of Missouri defensive end, who was the Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year, the report notes.

Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome thinks Sam is a good player but expressed concern over how the media will handle the potential presence of the first openly gay (non-retired) NFL player in history. Newsome says it’s new territory for all concerned but feels the Ravens’ locker room has a history of adapting to change. The team’s head coach, John Harbaugh, feels the Ravens would welcome Sam, saying, “We’re really good at helping players, any player, become a part of our team,” the Sun reports.

The NFL draft kicks off May 8.

Natasha Barsotti is originally from Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. She had high aspirations of representing her country in Olympic Games sprint events, but after a while the firing of the starting gun proved too much for her nerves. So she went off to university instead. Her first professional love has always been journalism. After pursuing a Master of Journalism at UBC , she began freelancing at Xtra West — now Xtra Vancouver — in 2006, becoming a full-time reporter there in 2008.

Read More About:
Culture, News, Sports

Keep Reading

Karla Sofía Gascón as Emilia Perez in Emilia Perez. Gascón wears black with colourful embroidery, has long hair, and a brown purse and delicate chain.

Trans cartel musical ‘Emilia Pérez’ takes maximalist aesthetic to the extreme

REVIEW: The film’s existence raises intriguing questions about appropriate subjects for the playful machinations of French auteurs
Dorothy Allison sits behind a microphone. She has long, light-coloured hair and wears glasses and a patterned button-up shirt.

5 things to know about Dorothy Allison

The lesbian feminist writer passed on Nov. 6

‘Solemates’ is a barefoot stroll through the history of our fetish for feet

Queer historian Adam Zmith’s newest book allows us to dip our toes into the past of a common, yet stigmatized, kink

‘Masquerade’ offers a queer take on indulgence and ennui 

Mike Fu’s novel is a coming of age mystery set between New York and Shanghai