Michael Sam
Michael Sam became the first openly gay football player to be drafted by an NFL team in 2014. While his draft was a historic first, Sam’s time in the NFL was discouraging. He was passed from team to team and eventually found himself without a team. About a year after he was first drafted, Sam retired from the NFL citing mental health reasons.
His struggle highlighted the discrimination and homophobia still rampant in the sports world, but Sam has gone on to share his story and continues to champion change.