For the first time in history, a future player in the National Football League came out as an open gay man.

Since Michael Sam, University of Missouri defensive end shared his sexual orientation it is questioned how teams will receive a gay player and how different the locker room will be for Sam now. Is the NFL too ‘macho’ for an openly gay player? This has rendered mixed emotions among athletes, journalists and other professionals who work in the sport and media industries.

Sam is not just some random NCAA player. He is an All-American defensive lineman from University of Missouri. He was named 2013 co-defensive player of the year in the Southeastern Football Conference, which is no doubt the nation’s strongest Division I football conference.

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Sam came out to his teammates in August, before the 2013 football season began. Missouri went on to post an 11-2 overall record and went 7-1 in the SEC, which is a drastic improvement from a 5-7 seasonal record and a 2-6 SEC record just a year prior.

Sam posted career-high statistics with 11.5 sacks, 19 tackles for losses, two forced fumbles and 48 total tackles. He also played a major role in helping the Tigers to the 2013 SEC Championship game, where they lost to eventual NCAA runner-up, University of Auburn. The Tigers went on to grab a win in the 2014 Cotton Bowl Classic over former Big 12 conference rival Oklahoma State University.

If having an openly gay player in the locker is supposed to kill camaraderie and team chemistry, why did the Missouri Tigers not show that?

Sam’s skill set and determination would undoubtedly make an impact on almost any NFL team. But NFL experts claim his announcement might negatively affect his draft status, and some NFL executives said that they believe he will not even be drafted because of the potential problems.

That seems absolutely absurd. Numerous players in professional sports have much bigger issues than Sam.

Aldon Smith, current San Francisco 49ers linebacker, and NFL All Pro, was arrested in September 2013 for suspicion of driving under the influence and possession of marijuana when he crashed his car into another vehicle around 7 a.m. This was Smith’s second DUI offense in two years; he was arrested in January for a DUI in Miami Beach. A month after his September arrest, he was charged with three felony counts of illegal possession of an assault weapon, related to a 2012 incident where he was stabbed at his house. The 49ers and Smith are expected to negotiate a lengthy contract extension this offseason, despite his legal troubles. To add another element, Smith, like Sam, was also a Defensive Player of the year and an All-American at Missouri.

Even future lottery pick Marcus Smart, an Oklahoma State University point guard, was suspended for getting involved in a verbal altercation with a Texas Tech University fan and shoving him during a game. He was issued a technical in the game, and suspended for three games after the Big 12 reviewed the situation.

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One would think the incident would provide a great deal of concern for NBA executives when they consider drafting him. However, according to Sporting News, the majority of NBA executives do not feel it will be a problem upon draft consideration.

These are both unfortunate situations for extremely talented players, however, if the executives say all that matters is whether these players will contribute to the team despite their antics, why would an openly gay player not be treated the same way?

It seems unfortunate an NFL team would rather take a risk on a player who has seen trouble at college, high school or another professional team, than draft one who has exhibited ideal leadership, good off-the-field behavior and on-the-field playmaking ability.

When I first saw the headline “SEC Defensive POY is gay,” I immediately thought C.J. Mosley, a linebacker at the University of Alabama and SEC Co-Defensive Player of the year with Sam, had made the announcment. If it had been him that had came out as gay, would the analysts be talking about him dropping in the draft?

Mosley is supposed to be picked in the 2014 draft within the first 15 overall picks. Would his superstar potential oversee the fact he was gay? Or would we, like with Sam, see a potential drop in draft stock?

As of January 2014, gay marriage is legal 17 states and there are openly gay athletes around the world in almost every professional sport including softball, soccer, basketball, handball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, boxing, baseball, lacrosse, golf, ice hockey and rugby, which is arguably the most comparable sport to football.

If all these sports can accept and tolerate openly gay players, why is the NFL so insistent on straying away from it?

Back to the ‘macho’ question. On Sep. 20, 2011, the United States Department of Defense repealed the 1993 “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which barred openly gay, lesbian or bisexual soldiers from military service but tolerated closeted gays. If openly gay men and women can fight alongside others in battle, they should be able to participate on a sports team together for a couple hours a day.

What could possibly be more ‘macho’ than fighting a war?

Football is not on the same level as fighting a war. However, a football game is a battle, and there needs to be trust among soldiers as there is with athletes.

If a player thinks he or she has to hide their true identity on a yearly, monthly or even daily basis, where is the trust in that? Where is the camaraderie among teammates when a player has to be uncomfortable at all times just to avoid offending anyone?

Being gay is far from the other trials and tribulations he has had to go through in his life. Players are not objectified in the media or locker rooms for one’s political beliefs or religious preferences, and a right-minded individual would apply the same mentality to gay players.

Sam stresses he can make an impact on any NFL team with his skill set, and his numbers clearly back up his statements. Sam saw his older brother get shot and killed in front of his eyes, his second oldest brother went missing in 1998 and he was the last one to see him, and later identified his body.

Former NFL player Deion Sanders said in a tweet early Monday there are gay players in the NFL, they simply are just not open about it.

Sanders is one of the best NFL analysts, and he has numerous relationships with players on every team. If anyone was to know if a player was gay, it is assumed Sanders would know.

There will hopefully come a day when players will not have to make a big ordeal about sexual orientation. It will simply just be a fact about them similar to their hometown or date of birth. It will not be a concern.

The best sports stories are usually about a team or individual overcoming adversity for a successful outcome. This truly is a story about overcoming adversity. However, Michael Sam’s story has just begun.

Jack Robinson can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter @JRobinsonSIU, or by phone at 536-3311 ext. 254.