Mon. June 9, 2014
St. Louis, MO -
Michael Sam, the first openly gay football player to be drafted by the NFL, has said his teammates respect him as a human being.
The 24-year-old All-American defensive end from Missouri was picked in the final round of the NFL draft and faces a steep incline to make the St. Louis Rams.
Sam said Friday he's had no issues fitting in with his teammates.
"They respect me as a human being," he said. "And as a football player."
Defensive end Chris Long, a former first-round pick, said none of the players care that Sam is gay.
"Only the media cares," he said."The players don't care, we just care about what kind of football player you are."
"We got a steal in whatever round we took him in," Long added.
Rookie Aaron Donald called Sam "a cool guy."
Related: National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame names 2014 Inductees
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