Michael Sam Comments on Coming Out, NFL Draft Process in Oprah Interview

Michael Sam, the NFL's first openly gay player, gave his first interview since being released by the Dallas Cowboys in October, appearing in a documentary on the Oprah Winfrey Network. 

The program touched on many aspects of Sam's brief time in the NFL, from what it was like waiting to be drafted to whether his sexuality played a factor in him being cut from two teams, the St. Louis Rams and Dallas Cowboys.

"I don't like to think that way," Sam said in the documentary, per The Associated Press via ESPN. "But I do believe I'm a very talented football player and I'm going to continue working hard and try to get that opportunity to play in the league."

Sam himself didn't seem to appreciate the public spectacle in the wake of his decision to come out, however, even if he felt it was important to come out rather than have NFL teams discover it on their own.

"It didn't need to be public," Sam said. "Why do gay people have to do it?"

The documentary recounted many moments of the draft process and the draft itself, including the moment when Sam kissed his boyfriend, Vito Cammisano, after he was selected by the Rams in the seventh round.

"Everyone made a big deal out of it," Sam said, referring to it as the "infamous kiss" and noting he didn't even realize the cameras were still on at the time. "It's just a kiss. Did you forget that I was gay? Should I be kissing a woman instead?"

He also acknowledged that he's far from being the only gay player in the NFL, per Bleacher Report on Twitter:

Don't expect Sam to give up. He said he would continue to pursue an NFL career as long as he could. And don't expect him to apologize for how he handled his path to the NFL either.

"I did everything I was supposed to do. I did everything right," Sam said. "I am proud of how I handled things."

But Sam will forever remain the first NFL player to be openly gay, and even if he never plays another down in the league, he will be remembered as an important figure in NFL history for that reason alone.  

For many, he will always represent a brave figure and will be considered a hero in the gay community.