Michael Sam to Montreal Alouettes: Latest Contract Details, Comments, Reaction

Michael Sam is going to continue his football career north of the border.

The Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes announced Friday they have signed the former SEC Defensive Player of the Year to a one-year deal with an option for a second season.

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports noted the pact:

Tom Pelissero of USA Today provided the contract details:

Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman is bullish about what the move will do for Sam's career:

The Dallas Cowboys released Sam, 25, from their practice squad on Oct. 21. The Cowboys signed Sam after he was one of the St. Louis Rams' final cuts before the 2014 season.

Though Dallas struggled all year to create a pass rush, the team let go of Sam in part because of the presence of Demarcus Lawrence, the Cowboys' second-round pick last May. Lawrence's entry into the lineup gave the team much-needed depth and made Sam expendable.

Sam, who was the first openly gay player drafted by an NFL team, will hope his experiences in St. Louis and Dallas give him a better chance of making the Alouettes' roster.

While with the Rams, he learned from the likes of Chris Long and Robert Quinn, arguably the NFL's best defensive end duo when healthy. While the Missouri product was with the Cowboys, Rod Marinelli, who is among the best defensive line coaches in league history, taught him on a daily basis.

Sam will have to adapt to the CFL game, but at this point he's merely looking to carve a path to playing time. In limited action in St. Louis, he flashed the same pass-rushing ability he did at Missouri. Playing mostly against second- and third-stringers, he had three sacks in the NFL preseason, which tied for fourth among all players.

With Sam unable to latch on to another team's practice squad after Dallas cut him, his story again created national headlines. Sam himself even seemed to insinuate in an interview with TMZ that he felt he wasn't on an NFL roster because of his sexuality, saying, "I think I was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year last year...so I don't think it had to do with talent."

Despite attempts to deflect it, Sam's signing will likely garner major media attention in Canada. If he's able to make Montreal's roster and earn consistent playing time, it'll be a chance to prove himself with an eye on potentially making it back to the NFL.

Now it's up to Sam to ensure he makes the most of this new football opportunity. The 2015 CFL season kicks off next month.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.