Michael Sam, the first openly gay player to be drafted into the NFL, will speak at Quinnipiac University on Tuesday evening.
Sam’s speech will begin at 7 p.m. at the Burt Kahn Court located on Quinnipiac’s Mount Carmel campus. He will focus on his journey to the NFL while dealing with adversity along the way.
“Michael Sam’s life journey is so valuable and he has much to offer others,” Stefano Fasulo, associate director for campus life, said in a statement Tuesday. “He faced adversity head-on from an early age and became SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Sam has remained true to his authentic self. That is a very important message for our students.”
Sam was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the NFL Draft in May 2014. He was later cut before the start of the regular season, when the Dallas Cowboys then added Sam to its practice squad on Sept. 3.
Despite being waived by the Cowboys on Oct. 21, Sam is continuing his pursuit of becoming the first openly gay player to make an NFL roster.
