*FAN SUBMISSION by William Carson of New York City.*
Courtesy: ESPN
There is a belief out in the world not pertaining to sports that if Michael Sam isn’t drafted or drafted very late it will be because he is gay. I’m here to say that Michael Sam’s sexuality doesn’t matter. I am not only a huge fan of both college and pro football, but I am also a Division 1 football player at Columbia University.
When the draft finally comes up, after being prolonged for much longer than usual, there is a very high likelihood that the SEC defensive player of the year, Michael Sam will be drafted. But there is also the possibility that he will not be drafted. Based on most experts such as the people at cbssports.com, Sam is projected to go in the 6-7 rounds. If his stock falls or rises from that position, it is not because his sexuallity.
He will instead be judged purely on how much he can help his franchise and while having a guy who can sell a large quantity of jerseys is great and increases revenue, if he unable to find a way to get playing time and make a difference; it is a waste of a draft pick and roster spot. A great case of this is Tim Tebow: while he was great for marketing for the Jets and Patriots, since he was unable to find a spot on the team, the media circus and added pressure on the teams was viewed as simply not worth it, as he was eventually cut. He didn’t lose his roster spot because he is an evangelical Christian; he was cut for being unable to add anything to the team.
The same thing will be true of Sam; if he can add to the team he will stay, if he isn’t all that great he wont be picked as the added attention the team will receive wont be worth it.
Courtesy: NY Post
Michael Sam and the baggage he brings seem like a great amount, but he still is very talented and general managers of NFL franchises have made bigger risks in the past. NFL teams have signed up for players such as Chad Johnson, Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, while handing them major contracts, even though they had a large amount of baggage they brought with them. All of these guys, while being guys with questionable off the field issues and being distractions to the team, contributed and were star players for many seasons.
This happens in college recruiting as well, a highly touted recruit has character issues or had a run in with the cops but still gets recruited to schools such as Texas or Alabama. Why? Because the value they had as football players outweighed the off the field issues they brought with them.
Some people may look at those examples and yes, the players did succeed for a while and possibly were considered one of the best players in the NFL when they were good. But every single case that was mentioned the athletes stopped producing the great numbers they had been but the media circus still remained causing the athletes to be cut because they were no longer worth the time and effort to keep them on the team. The players had worn out their welcome and lost their opportunity.
That is what I am arguing, every single player was given an opportunity to play and their issues were way bigger than Michael Sam, who will slip because he is openly gay. Those players had severe character issues and were generally not likable people. If they are given a chance to play and show if they belong at the highest level, so does Sam. Sometimes the gamble pays off. Just look at Hall of Fame wide receiver Chris Carter; he was kicked off Ohio State and cut by the Philadelphia Eagles, but became one of the greatest of all time for the Minnesota Vikings.
I am not saying that Michael Sam will perform at that level, but believe he has the potential to be a great player. So do some professional scouts, such as sbnation.com’s Stephen White, who said “I see a bright future ahead of him as an NFL player.” Michael Sam may be a great player for years to come in the NFL, but he also might be a great failure and that remains to be unseen. However, he deserves the chance to prove if he has what it takes.
