Go North, Young Sam

Michael Sam will play pro football next season, but he won't be chasing a Lombardi Trophy. Sam, a defensive end who in 2014 became the first openly gay player drafted into the NFL when the Rams took him in the seventh round, signed a two-year deal with the CFL's Montreal Alouettes. He had been an NFL free agent since the Cowboys released him from their practice squad last October. Since then Sam has competed on ABC's Dancing with the Stars and proposed to his longtime boyfriend, Vito Cammisano. The Alouettes had owned Sam's CFL rights since his senior year at Missouri. Sam celebrated his return on Twitter, writing, "Cannot wait to get back on the field and bring a Grey Cup to #Montreal!"

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ROBERT BECK FOR SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (SAM)