President Obama congratulates Sam, who becomes the first openly gay football player who is selected in the NFL draft, 'for taking an important step forward in our Nation's journey.'
- May 12, 2014
AceShowbiz -
Michael Sam, an openly gay football player who was selected in the NFL draft on Saturday, May 10, received a congratulatory message from president Obama for the result. The White House sent the message on Saturday night after the news came out.
The statement read, "The President congratulates Michael Sam, the Rams and the NFL for taking an important step forward in our Nation's journey. From the playing field to the corporate boardroom, LGBT Americans prove everyday that you should be judged by what you do and not who you are."
The St. Louis Rams took Sam in the seventh and final round of the draft on Saturday. The athlete, who opened up about his sexual preference in February, made headlines over the weekend after he hugged and kissed his boyfriend on live TV after learning of the exciting news by phone.
Some people who feel uncomfortable seeing the gesture voiced their opinion on social media. One of them was Miami Dolphins safety Don Jones who tweeted "horrible" and "OMG." The tweets were later deleted and he apologized.
As reported by ESPN, Jones was ordered to pay a fine and was excused from team activities. "We met with Don today about respect, discrimination and judgment," the Dolphins said in a statement released on Sunday. "These comments are not consistent with the values and standards of our program."
