Michael Sam may still be waiting on a coveted pick in the NFL draft but that doesn’t mean other opportunities aren’t on the table. In a surprising move, Visa recently signed Sam as their new spokesperson, further making him one of the most popular NFL hopefuls ever.
Visa recently released the first commercial featuring Sam, showing him working out while a voiceover echoes Sam’s request to fans and NFL officials when he first came out back in February: to judge him on his football skills and not based on any negative ideas about his sexuality.
“We felt that Michael’s story was a perfect fit for our ‘everywhere’ campaign, which is meant to inspire people to reach their own personal goals and aspirations,” Visa’s chief marketing officer Kevin Burke told ESPN. “We wish Michael the best on and off the field as he embarks on the next chapter of his life.”
Sam’s agent and attorney, Cameron Weiss, also weighed in, saying that Visa provides just the right partnership that he was looking for with Sam.
“We’ve been really selective in trying to find the right partners and we couldn’t be more pleased to start with a world-class company like Visa,” said Weissman.
Although Sam isn’t expected to be selected in the draft until Saturday,he has reportedly received dozens of endorsement deals already, something that’s unheard of for an expected late-round draft pick.
We congratulate Sam on his new endorsement deal, and we hope that it shows the NFL that not only can Sam be a valuable player, but he can also be a marketable and lucrative one as well. – nicholas robinson
