Michael Sam
Michael Alan Sam Jr. (born January 7, 1990) is an American former professional football defensive end notable for his college performance at the University of Missouri and for being the first openly gay athlete drafted by a National Football League (NFL) team.[1][2] At Missouri, Sam recorded 123 tackles, 30 tackles for loss, and 19 sacks over four seasons, culminating in a senior year where he led the Southeastern Conference (SEC) with 10.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss, earning him co-SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors from both coaches and the Associated Press.[3][4][5] Selected by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round (249th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft, Sam participated in the preseason but was waived before the regular season, receiving no further NFL roster opportunities despite practice squad stints.[6][7] His professional career extended briefly to the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes, where he appeared in one game in 2014 before departing in 2015, after which he retired from playing.[2][8]Early Life
Family Background and Childhood
Michael Sam was born on January 7, 1990, in Galveston, Texas.[1][9] He was the seventh of eight children born to Michael Sam Sr. and JoAnn Sam.[10][11] The family resided in Hitchcock, Texas, a small town approximately 40 miles southeast of Houston near Galveston Bay, where they faced poverty and instability.[12][10] At times, the family experienced homelessness, with Sam and his mother briefly living in the back seat of her car.[12][11] Sam's parents separated after having their children, with his father, a truck driver, relocating to North Texas for work.[12][11] His mother, a Jehovah's Witness, maintained a complicated relationship with him, including opposition to his participation in football.[10] The family became notorious in Hitchcock for involvement in drugs, violence, and crime, contributing to a challenging environment marked by peer pressure and instability.[12][10] The Sam family endured multiple tragedies: Sam's older sister, Chanel, drowned at age two before his birth; his brother Russell was shot and killed at age 15 during a home break-in in the mid-1990s; and another brother, Julian, went missing in 1998 and is presumed dead.[10][11] By 2014, five of the eight siblings remained alive, while two brothers, Josh and Chris, were incarcerated with extensive criminal records—Josh facing 44 charges since 2001 and Chris 23 since 2003.[10] These losses and ongoing family struggles profoundly shaped Sam's early years, prompting him to seek escape through academics and sports starting in seventh grade.[12][10]High School Football
Michael Sam attended Hitchcock High School in Hitchcock, Texas, playing varsity football for the Bulldogs from his freshman year in 2005 through his senior year in 2008.[2] At a small Class 2A school, he earned a spot on the varsity team as a freshman, a notable accomplishment given the competitive nature of Texas high school football.[10] Primarily a defensive end, Sam also played offensive lineman, contributing on both sides of the ball in a program that required versatility from its athletes.[2] He received first-team All-District honors as a defensive lineman each of his four years and as an offensive lineman during his junior and senior seasons.[13] As a senior in 2008, he added All-Houston Metro recognition as a defensive end.[2] Sam's high school performance drew recruiting interest, leading to a scholarship offer from the University of Missouri, where he signed as a defensive end prospect ranked approximately 75th nationally at the position.[2][14] His efforts helped Hitchcock High School compile competitive seasons, though specific team records and individual statistics from his games remain sparsely documented in public records.[15]College Career
University of Missouri Performance
Michael Sam enrolled at the University of Missouri in 2009 and redshirted his freshman season, focusing on physical development through practice and weight training.[16] In 2010, as a redshirt freshman defensive end, he appeared in all 13 games primarily in a rotational role, accumulating 12 tackles (4 solo, 8 assisted), 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, 1 interception for 62 yards, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 pass deflection.[17] Sam's role expanded in 2011, where he played in 13 games and recorded 29 tackles (16 solo, 13 assisted), 3.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 1 interception, and 1 pass deflection, contributing to Missouri's defensive efforts in the Big 12 Conference.[17] During his junior year in 2012, he started nine of 12 games, posting 22 tackles (9 solo, 13 assisted), 7.0 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery returned for a touchdown, ranking fourth on the team in tackles for loss and third in sacks.[16][17] Sam's performance peaked in his senior season of 2013 after Missouri joined the Southeastern Conference (SEC), starting all 14 games and delivering a breakout year with 47 tackles (30 solo, 17 assisted), an SEC-leading 18.0 tackles for loss, 10.0 sacks (second in the SEC), 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery returned for a touchdown, and 2 pass deflections.[17] This dominant campaign earned him the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award from the Associated Press and unanimous All-American honors.[18][17] The following table summarizes Sam's key defensive statistics at Missouri:| Year | Games Played | Tackles | Tackles for Loss | Sacks | Forced Fumbles | Fumble Recoveries | Interceptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 13 | 12 | 3.5 | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2011 | 13 | 29 | 3.0 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2012 | 12 | 22 | 7.0 | 4.5 | 2 | 1 (TD) | 0 |
| 2013 | 14 | 47 | 18.0 | 10.0 | 1 | 1 (TD) | 0 |
| Career | 52 | 110 | 31.5 | 17.0 | 5 | 2 (2 TD) | 2 |
Key Achievements and Statistics
During his four seasons at the University of Missouri from 2010 to 2013, Michael Sam established himself as a dominant defensive end, accumulating 110 combined tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss, and 17 sacks across 52 games.[17] His production peaked in his senior year of 2013, when he started all 14 games and led the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in tackles for loss (18.0) and sacks (10.0), while recording 47 combined tackles (30 solo), two pass deflections, one forced fumble, and one fumble returned for a touchdown.[17] [3] These efforts contributed to Missouri's 11-3 record, SEC Eastern Division title, and Cotton Bowl victory.[3] Sam's 2013 performance earned him the SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year award from the league's coaches, making him the first Missouri player to receive that honor from coaches and only the second in program history overall.[3] He was also selected as a unanimous first-team All-American, becoming just the seventh such honoree under head coach Gary Pinkel and the 33rd in Missouri football history.[19] Additionally, he garnered first-team All-SEC recognition.[3]| Season | Games | Combined Tackles | Tackles for Loss | Sacks | Interceptions | Forced Fumbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 13 | 12 | 3.5 | 1.0 | 1 | 2 |
| 2011 | 13 | 29 | 3.0 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 |
| 2012 | 12 | 22 | 7.0 | 4.5 | 0 | 2 |
| 2013 | 14 | 47 | 18.0 | 10.0 | 0 | 1 |
| Career | 52 | 110 | 31.5 | 17.0 | 2 | 5 |