By all accounts, defensive end Michael Sam was welcomed by his former St. Louis Rams teammates with open arms. Now a member of the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad, it appears Sam, the first openly gay active NFL player, will receive the same treatment with his new squad.
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Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo told David Moore of the Dallas News that Sam will be viewed as any other player.
"“Everyone has different politics, religion, views on things, and I think what you find in the locker room is no one cares,’’ Romo said. “It’s about can you help this football team win.“We’re always bringing in people to help the football team. If he can help us, it’s a bonus and we’ll be lucky to have him. It’s just part of the whole process.’’"
Star wide receiver Dez Bryant and running back DeMarco Murray also made clear that Sam is just one of the guys.
Dez Bryant on Michael Sam: "He deserves the same respect as anybody else. That's what we're gonna give him."
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) September 3, 2014
Dez Bryant: Michael Sam "deserves respect. I don't judge a book by its cover. He's a football player and I don't look at him any different."
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) September 3, 2014
DeMarco Murray on Michael Sam signing: "It's not a big deal. He's here to help us win. We're gonna treat him like any other guy."
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) September 3, 2014
For all the concern that Sam’s presence would be a distraction in an NFL locker room, the only time there has been significant attention drawn to him have been the result of media-created controversies, such as Tony Dungy saying he wouldn’t draft Sam or ESPN’s report about Sam’s showering habits.
Sam is there simply to play football and it’s encouraging that his new teammates seem to understand that.