By Zach Persing, ’15, Staff Writer

A few weeks ago, if you heard the name Michael Sam, it probably meant nothing to you; if it did, you are probably a very avid college football fan.  However, Michael Sam should now be a household name across the country.  Recently, Sam, the reigning SEC Co-Defensive Player of The Year, publicly announced his homosexuality. Now that Sam has graduated from the University of Missouri, he could potentially be the first openly gay player in the NFL.  Before his announcement, he was projected to be a third to fifth round draft pick.  However, this unprecedented news makes some people wonder whether teams will hesitate to add him to their club.  Regardless of what ends up happening with Sam and the NFL draft, the situation is certainly historic.

Some people have asked whether a gay player would be a distraction in an NFL locker room.  Newark Academy junior Mark McDonnell does not think so, as he said, “Who cares if he’s gay, he’s a football player and the public doesn’t need to know about his sexuality; not that there’s anything wrong with being gay, but it shouldn’t matter at all because it wouldn’t affect his playing and he’s a public figure because of his talent.” Even if it would be somewhat of a disturbance to a few players, many argue that he NFL is not new to locker room distractions, as players have been accused of murder (Ray Lewis), rape (Ben Roethlisberger), and publicly using racial epithets (Riley Cooper.).  However, some players are concerned that having a gay player showering and changing with straight men could be a significant issue.  Ten out of twelve Newark Academy students interviewed chose not to answer whether they would be comfortable showering with a gay teammate.  The other two people that were questioned answered that they would be comfortable with it. Only time will tell how a gay player would be received in the locker room.

One cannot talk about this topic without examining its incredibly groundbreaking nature.  A few years ago, the thought of an openly gay player in the NFL would have seemed far-fetched for many people. But today, people are taking it much more seriously.  Jai Ghose,  Newark Academy senior and Football team captain said, “It’s great to see someone break new ground and take steps to quash homophobia in every place.”  Additionally, sophomore Erin Mooney said, “I think it’s great that Michael Sam came out as gay. Considering the masculine nature of [the sport] I think it’s obviously a great advance in professional football.”  Sam has received support from several notable people across the nation, including the President and First Lady.  Some news outlets have deemed Sam’s situation as historic as Jackie Robinson’s becoming the first black MLB player. While only time will tell whether that comparison is apt, the mere prospect is beyond fascinating.

The last professional athlete in America to come out as gay was basketball player Jason Collins, who came out when he was a free agent this past year. Collins went many months without being signed until this past weekend when he was signed to a 10 day contract by the Brooklyn Nets. Frankly, it’s impossible to know whether Collins would have signed with a team earlier, as he was in the twilight of his career and his talents were dwindling.  The Nets only signed him after they had some roster issues due to injuries. One can only speculate as to whether his announcement had anything to do with the signing, but it was historic to see an openly gay player on an NBA roster  In Michael Sam’s case, every major draft website projected him to be a mid round pick prior to this announcement, so if things go south for him, the reasons will be rather obvious. It will be important for the future of the NFL to see where Sam gets drafted, as that draft position will either encourage or discourage future athletes from coming out.