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

The players who have reached out to me and told me about their sexual orientation, it just means a lot.

I wish you guys would just say, 'Michael Sam, how's the football going? How's training going?' But it is what it is. And I just wish you guys would see me as Michael Sam the football player instead of Michael Sam the gay football player.

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.

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

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.