'America is Ready': Despite Cut From Rams, Still Hope for Michael Sam

Michael Sam, the first openly gay football player drafted by an NFL team, was cut by the St. Louis Rams Saturday but one of the nation's most prominent gay-rights advocacy groups and the team's coach predicted the defensive end will start the regular season with another team.

'This is not the last of Michael Sam,' Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of gay-rights advocacy group GLAAD, said in a statement. 'America is ready for its first openly gay NFL player, and Sam's strong preseason performance leaves us confident that he'll be wearing an NFL jersey come the regular season kickoff.'

Rams head coach Jeff Fisher told reporters Saturday that the decision to cut Sam was 'a football decision,' and that competition to make the team was an uphill battle because the Rams is deep in the position he plays. Sam, 24, came out in February and was the first openly gay player drafted in the history of the NFL when the Rams picked him in the seventh round.

'Mike played well. Mike has the ability to play someplace,' Fisher said. 'He just plays hard all the time. The plays he made were effort plays. I think he's got the skills to fit in someplace.'

On Twitter, the reaction was mostly positive. Outsports co-founder Cyd Zeigler predicted 'Michael Sam will play in the NFL. He's too good not to.' There were several calls from Cowboys fans, whose team has struggled defensively after injuries, to take a look at Sam.

Sam took to the social-media site after the announcement was made and thanked the Rams and the city of St. Louis for the opportunity, and said 'the journey continues.'

While Fisher said he was 'proud' to be a part of the historic moment when Sam was drafted, he thought the emphasis on Sam's sexual orientation was overblown, and said it wasn't a factor in the decision to cut him.

'There was no distraction. If someone perceived or thought it may be a distraction they weren't in the building,' Fisher said. 'Mike fit in very, very well, he was fun to be around, he was a good teammate ... I was pulling for him, and it just didn't work out.'

IN-DEPTH SOCIAL - Phil Helsel

First published August 30 2014, 2:45 PM