By Maya Rhodan
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.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- Dua Lipa Manifested All of This
- Exclusive: Google Workers Revolt Over $1.2 Billion Contract With Israel
- Stop Looking for Your Forever Home
- The Sympathizer Counters 50 Years of Hollywood Vietnam War Narratives
- The Bliss of Seeing the Eclipse From Cleveland
- Hormonal Birth Control Doesn’t Deserve Its Bad Reputation
- The Best TV Shows to Watch on Peacock
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com