The student newspaper of Bucks County Community College

The Centurion

The student newspaper of Bucks County Community College

The Centurion

The student newspaper of Bucks County Community College

The Centurion

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Will Michael Sam make the NFL draft this year?

Michael Sam made a historic announcement on ESPN, and has become the first openly gay NFL draft prospect.
The defensive end out of the University of Missouri is considered by some to be as high as a third round selection, while others are saying he may not even get drafted due to the announcement.
Last season, Michael’s senior year at Missouri, his outstanding play on the field earned him the honor of co-defensive player of the year in the SEC.
Just recently in an interview with ESPN, Michael Sam announced that he was an openly gay man. With this being his final year at Missouri, Sam has entered the NFL draft.
While some people believe that this announcement will hurt his chances of being drafted, Jeff Gadzinski, 19, Journalism major, believes otherwise.
Gadzinski says, “At the end of the day, he has played football his entire life and has earned respect from his teammates and coaches. His sexual orientation won’t effect where he is drafted much, or at all.”
Whether Sam gets drafted, or is signed as an undrafted free agent, there will be much talk about how he will be perceived in the locker room.
“In the locker room I think he’ll be received well, because that’s a place where you’re supposed to feel safe,” adds Troy Sibley, 20 year old Criminal Justice major. Sibley also believes that, “while some teammates won’t be accepting of him, the majority will.”
Mark McGeever, 21, Communications major, believes that Sam’s talent on the field will outweigh everything else. He says: “I think he’ll get drafted because he was a great college player.”
Jahmeelah Wilson, 18, Journalism major, believes that nothing but football should matter. She says: “While I’m not much of a sports fan, I believe that everyone deserves the same opportunities no matter their age, race, gender, or sexual orientation.
Abbie Bass, 19, Special Education major, agrees with Jahmeelah. She said: “It’ll be disappointing if he isn’t received well because everyone deserves equality.”
Sean Gill, 23, Communications major, believes what matters is Michael’s personality. He said: “Some will be accepting, while some won’t. It all depends on his personality. The players won’t care about his sexual orientation.”
Nate LaSalvia, 20, Video Game Design and Simulation major, just wants to see him play. “Let him play the game before we decide whether or not he’ll even pan out in the league. I’m sure his teammates will feel the same way. They’ll just want to see if he can play at a high enough level. And if he can, than the players will just ignore the fact that he is gay.”
There is no doubt that whoever drafts or signs Michael Sam will receive much more publicity. But that isn’t always a good thing as there is such a thing as negative publicity.
Matt Pierson, 19, Sports Management major, believes that may be the case with Sam. “Whoever drafts him will definitely get more attention and publicity. But that doesn’t mean it will be good publicity. The media may have a negative effect on not just Sam, but the entire team. It can make the locker room a mess.”
With the NFL draft just over two months away, we will find out pretty quickly whether or not Michael Sam being openly gay will affect his draft stock, or if his talent will be enticing enough for a team to take a chance on him.