The most worthwhile things in life rarely come easy, this is a lesson I've always known. The journey continues.

I just want to make sure I could tell my story the way I want to tell it. I just want to own my truth.

I'm Michael Sam, I'm a football player, and I'm gay.

To anyone out there especially young people feeling like they don't fit in and will never be accepted, please know this, great things can happen when you have the courage to be yourself.

Was it a risky move? Yes, but at that moment, the reason why I came out is I thought it wasn't going to be a big deal. Maybe I was naive. Maybe I thought it was 2014, and people will understand that there's gay NFL players. There's gay athletes everywhere. But I was clearly wrong. It was a huge deal.

I'm not afraid of who I am. 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.

The most worthwhile things in life rarely come easy, this is a lesson I've always known. The journey continues.