Cheers to Michael Sam! The St. Louis Rams drafted the football player on Saturday, May 10, officially making him the first openly gay player in NFL history.
"Thank you to the St. Louis Rams and the whole city of St. Louis," the 24-year-old tweeted shortly after news broke. "I'm using every ounce of this to achieve greatness!!"
Sam was the 249th pick on the final day of the NFL draft. Last February, the Missouri All-American defensive lineman came out as gay during an interview with ESPN.
"I am an openly, proud gay man," he said. "It's a big deal. No one has done this before. And it's kind of a nervous process, but I know what I want to be…I want to be a football player in the NFL."
Earlier this week, Sam told Robin Roberts on Good Morning America that he was ready for any team willing to give him a chance. "Where I go, it doesn’t matter," he said on May 7. "As long as I get to play and I put a jersey on my back, it's just awesome. I’m going to be proud of wherever I go."
Getting drafted is just the first of many accomplishments for Sam. Up next, the athlete will be receiving the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPY Awards in July.
