When Missouri Tigers defensive end Michael Sam told ESPN in an interview Sunday that he is gay, speculation immediately turned to how the football world would react.
According to anonymous NFL executives speaking to Sports Illustrated, his orientation might cause him to fall in the draft.
But on the ground, amongst his soon-to-be teammates in NFL locker rooms, the news was something less than earth-shaking. While there are no doubt some players who have reservations and are keeping quiet, the vast majority of NFL players who took to Twitter to react to Sam’s announcement were heart-warmingly positive.
If anonymous sources have you wondering if the NFL is ready for an openly gay player, it’s at least worth reading the words of players—from retired legends to benchwarming backups to the just-crowned Super Bowl MVP—who are willing to put their names behind their words.
https://twitter.com/MartysaurusRex/status/432726876629368833
https://twitter.com/ConnorBarwin98/status/432711285709750272
https://twitter.com/BGrimey21/status/432694729684582400
https://twitter.com/BGrimey21/status/432697813651431424
https://twitter.com/TorreySmithWR/status/432689168251371520
https://twitter.com/J_Martin71/statuses/432702504212496385
