Michael Sam, who is poised to become the NFL’s first openly gay player, will allow the moment to be shown on ESPN if he is drafted.
Despite a previous report that Sam had declined requests from ESPN and NFL Network to put him on the air, ESPN spokesman Bill Hofheimer wrote on Twitter today that Sam will be on camera if he is drafted. (ESPN won’t show him if he goes undrafted.)
Sam, who came out publicly shortly after completing his senior season at Missouri, was the SEC defensive player of the year last year. But he did not perform well at offseason workouts, and he’s no sure thing to get drafted at all.
If Sam is not selected, he will almost certainly catch on somewhere as an undrafted free agent. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said he’s rooting for Sam to get his chance to prove he belongs in the NFL.