Eight years after historic NFL draft selection, Michael Sam returns to football as a coach in Europe
"It just felt like I never left the game," said Sam, who was the first openly gay player ever taken in the NFL draft.
Tom SchadMichael Sam found his way back to football almost by happenstance.
Eight years after becoming the first openly gay man to be drafted by an NFL team – and six since he last played in a professional game – Sam said he had planned to do some backpacking in Europe this year before later moving to England.
"I was looking for a new start," he told USA TODAY Sports, "a fresh new chapter."
Then the Barcelona Dragons, of the European League of Football, offered him a coaching gig. And he leaped at the chance.
Now, Sam is living in Spain and entering his first season as the Dragons' assistant defensive line coach – teaching technique, assisting defensive line coach Chase Baker and helping out in the weight room on the side. It's his first coaching job and first step back into football since 2015, when he played for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League.
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