Michael Sam, the first openly gay football player to be drafted into the NFL, has been waived from the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad.
The 24-year-old athlete’s release on Tuesday (October 21) comes with the return of several previously injured players, DeMarcus Lawrence among them. The second-round draft pick has recovered from a broken foot sustained earlier this season and will be eligible to play starting November 2.
Sam took to Twitter to give thanks to his friends, family, fans and former teammates, and to express his unwavering hope that he will find another team.
The defensive end was drafted back in May as a seventh-round pick for the St. Louis Rams. However, he was removed from the team’s roster several months later, beaten out by rookie Ethan Westbrooks in the final round of cuts.
Four days after that setback, the unclaimed player was signed onto the Cowboy’s practice quad, much to the delight of Texas native Demi Lovato.
“We just want to give him a chance to come in and help our football team,” coach Jason Garrett has said with the pick. “That’s where our attention is (football). What people say outside the organization is up to them.”
Michael Sam remains a free agent.
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