Michael Sam could help make the Montreal Alouettes the Dallas Cowboys of the Canadian Football League.
After the St. Louis Rams declined to offer Sam, the first openly gay player to get drafted in the NFL, a spot on their practice roster, the Alouettes reached out to him to gauge his interest in playing up north, NFL.com reported. Sam had yet to return their call.
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Sam is trying to become the first openly gay player to play in the NFL. The Rams drafted him in the seventh round in May's NFL Draft, but he did not make the final cut for the 53-man roster.
The Alouettes retain the CFL rights to the 2013 SEC Defensive Player of the Year and University of Missouri defensive end. They made news earlier this year when they signed former NFL star wide receiver Chad Johnson.
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Montreal has had an otherwise forgettable 2014 season, languishing with a 2-7 record in the East Division of the CFL. Sam's presence could transcend the Alouettes' popularity beyond the football field, a feat that the Cowboys have done for the past three seasons in the NFL, despite having back-to-back-to-back 8-8 seasons.
Johnson has four catches for 78 yards and one touchdown this season.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher had hinted before the team announced its practice squad pickups that a lack of bodies at positions in which the team had little depth could hurt Sam's chances of making the roster this fall.
"The practice squad is heavily dependent on what you do in other positions," Fisher said, according to ESPN. "We've got, for example, it's well noted that (cornerback) Trumaine's (Johnson) going to be down for a few weeks, (offensive lineman) Barrett (Jones) is going to be down for a few weeks. We may have to go heavy in the other positions.
"If you're familiar with our roster right now, we've got five linebackers, for example; we need linebackers on the practice squad."
Sam's arrival in the NFL was compared to that of Tim Tebow, whose religious beliefs transcended his three-year stay in the NFL. Tebow refused to play in the CFL when his NFL opportunities dried up.
Sam now faces the same decision.
Do you think Michael Sam should play in the CFL to help him land on an NFL squad in the future? Comment below or tell us @SportsWN.
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