“Beat it out of him.”
These chilling words were uttered by a former NFL player in response to what he would have done if his son ever announced he was gay. They echoed through the Houston Texans locker room less than five years ago, and former DB Nick Ferguson, along with the rest of the team, was unfortunate enough to have heard them spoken.
Ferguson spent 10 years in the NFL with three different teams. He gave his thoughts on Missouri DE Michael Sam for coming out as gay just two days ago.
Each person is an individual and I was raised that way. Very admirable of him coming out right before the draft. It’ll help others who aren’t in sports.. Who am I to judge and condemn him?
But not everyone is in agreement. Even Sam’s quarterback at Missouri, James Franklin, wasn’t as accepting as Ferguson is, in an interview earlier this week (via TMZ).
“I don’t drink. I don’t curse. I don’t support [homosexuality] — but it doesn’t mean I don’t accept Michael… A lot of people confuse supporting and accepting,” Franklin said.
Other players don’t look at it as a concrete “yes” or “no” thing. Frank Garcia played nine years in the league with three different teams as a guard. He doesn’t completely side with either party on the issue, but does say that those who are speaking out against Sam’s decision shouldn’t be put on blast for voicing their opinions.
If you don’t accept his lifestyle, you shouldn’t be judged either… Those guys who voice their opinion are being held to different standards and are equally as brave because they are now the minority.
Even if a certain NFL player comes out in support of Sam, it may not be indicative of how locker rooms and front offices around the league feel. Making a statement to the media to voice support is very different than reaching out to a teammate and both accepting and supporting the lifestyle that he lives. That’s what the big test will be, after Sam is drafted and possibly makes his way onto a 53-man roster. Garcia agreed:
I feel like not all players will except his lifestyle especially when it comes to taking showers and guys will be uncomfortable with that. Not many players will say that because it’s not PC [politically correct] but it’s the truth…Many say they will support but I’ll ask them one question. If you say you fully support it, if you had a son would you buy his jersey for him? Ask that question and watch the hesitation and that will be your answer.
The bigger question is if those who don’t support Sam’s “alternative lifestyle” will be able to accept it. Garcia seems to think there might be an issue here.
“I think he will have many challenges outside his own locker room and players on other teams will target him, obviously not all but some,” he said.
And while Sam’s announcement has created a social media firestorm this week, the All-American defensive end is well aware of the impact. He fully understands what effect it will have in the NFL, and has embraced the situation (via ESPN).
“I understand how big this is,” he said. “It’s a big deal. No one has done this before. And it’s kind of a nervous process, but I know what I want to be … I want to be a football player in the NFL…I’m not afraid to tell the world who I am. I’m Michael Sam: I’m a college graduate. I’m African American, and I’m gay,” he said. “I’m comfortable in my skin.
What Twitter is saying
There is no room for bigotry in American sports. It takes courage to change the culture.
— Malcolm Smith (@MalcSmitty) February 10, 2014
Wonder why Mizzou had a breakout year, look at the bond of their team…No one said a peep. Very impressive
— John Middlekauff (@JohnMiddlekauff) February 10, 2014
How current NFL players and executives might feel about having a gay player on their team
The idea of homosexual players in team sports is a polarizing one, and there will always be some opinionated players that prefer to take bold stances in speaking out for or against it. However, the public might be surprised about how the majority of athletes really don’t care too much either way.
I asked a lot of players last summer about playing with a gay player. A handful said it would bother them. Most did not.
— Pete Prisco (@PriscoCBS) February 10, 2014
NFL teams do take a strong look at the character of potential prospects when scouting talent. There is a reason why Tyrann Mathieu fell to the third round of the 2013 NFL draft and Colt Lyerla, who possesses a first-round skillset, will likely hear his name called in the final day of this year’s draft, if at all.
To get a feel for what front offices are thinking, I spoke with a team executive earlier this week. His comments illustrate that no turn goes unturned when scouting talent, and that every aspect of a prospect’s life is scrutinized.
We are employing these players…they are going to be a representation of the city and the franchise. Of course, we have the right to find out what makes them tick and what types of relationships they have built in their personal lives… Like in any profession, character matters.
If he was implying sexual preference can be a judge of character, it raises some red flags about the organization’s thought process. Could certain teams view homosexual relationships off the field as a negative trait when looking at prospects? It’s a possibility.
Which NFL team is the best fit for Sam?
Sam isn’t looking to be coddled when he joins the NFL by any means, but the fact remains, there are certain environments that could suit him better than others. Ferguson suggests he lands with a team with numerous veterans to police the locker room—to better handle the amount of responsibility coaches and GMs would be facing.
And there are many questions surrounding which team would be the best fit for Sam.
Teams like the 49ers may think twice about targeting the defensive end after Chris Culliver’s homophobic comments during media day last February. It could, very well, create a divide in the locker room. However, the idea that a team may pass on a prospect because there’s another player on its roster that doesn’t accept Sam’s “alternative lifestyle”, doesn’t add up. If he makes the team better and fits the scheme, so be it.
Oh, and ESPN’s Kwame Fisher-Jones certainly felt bringing Sam to Philly wouldn’t be such a hot idea. He’s probably right, as the boo-birds can be quite harsh at The Linc.
@MrJonesESPNPA @VincentFrankNFL Philly in def not a good place for Sam to go. Fans will not hold anything back. Just listen to Philly radio
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_BSN) February 11, 2014
The bottom line
A few of the players I spoke with off the record did indicate that homosexuality is more prevalent in the NFL than the public is led to believe. Ferguson agreed, and noted “alternative lifestyles may be a bit more widespread.”
A Gallop poll from 2012 affirms that the homosexual life choice may be growing in number. That year, an estimated 3.4 percent of American men identified themselves as gay, bisexual or transgender. That equates to about two men per each 53-man sample size (or roster, in our case).
It’s now up to the NFL teams, players and personnel to take the next step and accept Sam and his decision. He’s now put himself out there roughly 10 weeks before the draft, but how will the league react?
After all, he might be the first openly gay NFL player to come out, but he surely won’t be the last. Jackie Robinson opened many doors when he broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball almost 70 years ago. Maybe Sam’s bomb-drop will have a similar effect, and in five years from now, we’ll be looking back on him as a hero, rather than an alien.
Both Vincent Frank and Matt Birch collaborated to produce this article. (All original reporting done by VF.)
