He left training camp June 12, citing personal reasons, and sat out the team’s first five games.
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It’s a sad turn for the first openly gay professional football player, but this might be the best thing for him if he’s truly experiencing mental-health concerns.
Michael Sam, who was selected by the St. Louis Rams in 2014, made the announcement on Twitter, saying the past year had been “very difficult”.
After attending the NFL’s veteran mix in March 2015 and failing to garner curiosity, Sam headed north of the border and signed with the Alouettes in May.
For the time being, Michael Sam will be putting football aside. I want to thank the Alouettes for this opportunity and I hope to be back on the pitch soon. Sam, however, returned to the team two weeks later and was reinstated. Citing mental health reasons, Sam announced his retirement from the sport Friday.
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He was cut from the Rams and last September was added to the Dallas Cowboys’ practice roster. The Alouettes’ first game with him didn’t show much promise, and his having recently come out of the proverbial closet might have harmed his reputation before he could earn one. In July he allegedly struggled to get into football shape, and reports claimed dissension on the team due to “preferential treatment” of the openly gay player. Now, it appears his time in Montreal, and perhaps professional football, is over. Popp wondered if Sam’s good experience at Missouri made him believe coming out in the NFL wouldn’t be a big deal and was surprised when it was.
