"The Journey To Truth..."

Michael Sam Talks Coming Out, Troubled Childhood And His NFL Future In GQ

Curtis M. Wong
11/21/2014

Michael Sam capped off an incredible 2014 when he was named one of GQ's Men of the Year alongside Chris Pratt, Steve Carrell, Ansel Elgort and others.

Still, the 24-year-old, who became the first openly gay player to be drafted by the NFL but is currently without a team, reveals many personal struggles in the interview the accompanies the GQ cover.

Looking back on his history-making coming out, Sam tells GQ’s Andrew Corsello, “If I had it my way, I never would have done it the way I did, never would have told it the way I did. But the recruiters knew, and reporters knew, and they talked to each other, and it got out."

Noting that he "thought others would join me," he added, "I have no regrets ... It looks good to see me in the position I’m in now, because I can show the world how good I am and rise up the ranks. I’m at the bottom now. I can rise up, show I’m a football player. Not anything else. Just a football player.”

Sam also takes the opportunity to open up about his troubled childhood in Texas.

"We called the cops on my brothers so many times I can’t even count," he recalls. "They’ve both written me letters from prison. For them to dare to call themselves my brothers -- I can’t live with that.”

Responding to controversial media reports and statements made after the NFL drafted him, he adds, "I’ll say this: I want to become a distraction! And what I mean is: by making big plays and doing good stuff on the field. Although nobody would print that, because that’s not a story. Gotta keep bringing up the locker room situation because he’s gay.”

Click here to read the full GQ interview with Michael Sam.

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