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Michael Sam: 'I'm Not The Only Gay Person In NFL'

By Andrew Porter

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- Michael Sam, the first openly gay person to be selected in the NFL draft, says he's not the only gay player in the league. Sam says several players, who he will not reveal, have contacted him regarding their sexual orientation.

"I am not the only gay person in the NFL," Sam said in Dallas on Thursday, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "I'm just saying there is a lot of us. I respect the players that did reach out to me and had the courage to tell me that they were also gay, but they do not have the same courage as I do to come out before I even played a down in the NFL.

"The players who have reached out to me and told me about their sexual orientation, it just means a lot. But I will never say anything about who they are, what teams they are [on]. I'm just saying there's some famous people, and I'm not the only one."

Sam was selected in the seventh round of the 2014 draft by the St. Louis. However, Sam never made the team and was later released by the Dallas Cowboys in October, after joining their practice squad. While Sam continues to look for a job in the NFL, he's earning his money in another way.

"'Dancing with the Stars' is my employer," Sam said. "That's my main source of income. ... I'm unemployed, and I don't believe I'm out of the NFL because I'm gay. But if it was a reason, it can hurt their livelihood, and you don't want to take that chance."

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