Michael Sam: I Was Going to Wait to Come Out

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE magazine, recent St. Louis Rams draft pick Michael Sam said he originally planned to come out as gay after the NFL draft.

“When I came out in February, it actually wasn’t the time I wanted to come out,” Sam said. “I was going to come out to my [pro] team—whoever drafted me.”

Sam, whose February announcement led to him becoming the first openly gay player to be drafted to the NFL, also shared that he felt blessed to have the support of his teammates at the University of Missouri. “Everyone in that program was so respectful of me, I wanted to give them all I got,” Sam said.

Read more at PEOPLE.