Michael Sam Ranks Second In Top Rookie Jersey Sale List; First Openly Gay NFL Player Gets Love From Fans!
Michael Sam, the first openly gay NFL player drafted by the St. Louis Rams, has one of the most popular jerseys among rookies, according to a sportswear outfitting site. He also received a rousing welcome from the members of the gay community who are fans of the sports.
"This is unprecedented for a day three pick, let alone a seventh round pick, to crack the top five rookies sold following Draft weekend," NFL spokesperson Joanna Hunter told Outsports.
The jersey of Michael Sam sold on the site is only an image representation, according to Mashable. When he receives his official number from the NFL League Office, the ordered merchandise will then be shipped to the clients.
According to the website, the openly gay NFL player trails only Johnny Manziel of the Cleveland Browns. The other players on the top five are Jadeveon Clowney of Houston Texans, Teddy Bridgewater of Minnesota Vikings an Blake Bortles of Jacksonville Jaguars.
Meanwhile, Michael Sam received support from the members of the LGBT community who were avid followers of the sport.
"I feel like my support for the NFL now doesn't have an asterisk come with it," Kendell said. "It's now truly America's game," Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, told the Guardian.
Michael Sam was drafted 249th out of 256 players but the rank where he was drafted didn't really matter by the significance of being picked. NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said that the openly gay NFL player will also be included in the special bronze and silver commemorative coins to be released by the league.
The PR expert who has been working with Michael Sam said the NFL and advertisers can capitalize on the buzz surrounding him.
"The first time he plays, you're going to have huge numbers watching. The NFL is a business. It understands very well that LGBT fans are passionate, they have good incomes, they're concentrated in NFL cities," he said.
