Back in May, openly gay NFL hopeful Michael Sam breathed new life into his stalled football career when he jumped ship from the NFL to the CFL and signed with the Montreal Alouettes. However, his sports dreams seemed to come crashing down, once again, when he abruptly left the training camp in June for undisclosed reasons. Now, after making his return to the team late last month, reports claim Sam will likely suit up and hit the field in just a few weeks.
As previously reported, during Sam’s break from the team, it was publicly announced that he and his longtime boyfriend, Vito Cammisano, decided to end their high-profile engagement and breakup, which was likely a substantial part of his reason for leaving the training camp.
However, according to Outsports.com, when Sam returned to the camp and the team’s active roster on June 30, coach Tim Higgons said of Sam, “I truly believe he didn’t come here in the best football shape,” Higgins said. “I truly believe he didn’t understand what it takes to play in the CFL. You have to be able to run [the field is wider than in American football]. He feels he’s too heavy. He’ll have to watch his diet, work hard and see if he can bring his weight down.”
Since returning to the team, Sam has missed a total of three games and stands to miss almost a third of the team’s 18-game season. But according to Higgons’ schedule, and if all goes well, fans may expect to see Sam finally play his first game when the Alouettes play against Calgary on Aug. 1.
We hope Sam really does rise to the occasion and prove that he’s earned his place on a professional football team.
