There are less than two months left before the second season of the European League of Football (EFL), the highest professional American football competition in Europe, begins. The twelve teams (the eight founders plus the four that have joined this edition) rush the days to close their rosters and the technical staff that will direct them. The Barcelona Dragons are no exception. The franchise based in Reus (Baix Camp) has practically the squad ready and has just incorporated a new member to its coaching staff. This is the American Michael Sam who will be the assistant coach of the green head coach Andrew Weidinger.
Michael Sam was a defensive player, mainly defensive end, who played for Hitchcock High School in his native Texas and later for the University of Missouri in NCAA Division I, the highest university category. In his five years in college, Michael Sam had 123 tackles, 21 fumbles and two interceptions. participating in the Cotton Bowl Classic (2014), against the Oklahoma State Cowboys, and in the Senior Bowl 2014. He was chosen as an All-American (list of the best college players in the country) However, he was considered too short to play as a defensive end in the NFL.
In the 2014 draft, he was selected in the seventh round by the Sant Lois Rams. However, he only played two preseason games (Saints and Green Bay Packers) before being released. They didn’t even keep him on the practice squad. The Dallas Cowboys did, albeit for a couple of months before being released.
In 2015, he signed for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL), with whom he could only play one game due to issues related to his mental health. The same reasons that made him take a step back from professional football in 2015.
First gay NFL drafted player
In 2013, Michael Sam came out as gay, becoming one of the first college players to come out as gay. His announcement was applauded by the President of the United States, Barack Obama, who congratulated the player and the team for the step forward that his election in the 2014 draft meant for the country. “From the field of play to the offices, the American LGTBQ community demonstrates every day that one should not be judged for who he is but for what he does,” said the president. His sexual condition also meant that he was the first gay player in the Canadian Football League. Michael Sam has been a great advocate for LGBTQ rights.
