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Michael Sam, SEC Defensive Player of the Year, says he is gay

It's telling, too, that no one in Sam's orbit "outed" him, enabling him to tell his story on his terms and timetable. At some level this is a story about a

Jon Wertheim

Michael Sam, SEC Defensive Player of the Year, says he is gay
Michael Sam, SEC Defensive Player of the Year, says he is gay /
Missouri's Michael Sam, the SEC's Defensive Player of the Year, led the league with 11.5 sacks in 2013.
Missouri's Michael Sam, the SEC's Defensive Player of the Year, led the league with 11.5 sacks in 2013 :: Brandon Wade/AP

It's telling, too, that no one in Sam's orbit "outed" him, enabling him to tell his story on his terms and timetable. At some level this is a story about a generation gap. Sam and his cohort were raised in the era of Will & Grace and Modern Family, not The Brady Bunch, let alone My Three Sons. Friends, coaches and teammates all invoked the same line: It just wasn't a big deal.

Michael Sam (52) was a unanimous first-team All-America selection by both the AP and the Football Writers Association of America.
Michael Sam (52) was a unanimous first-team All-America selection by both the AP and the Football Writers Association of America :: Jimmy Simmons/Icon SMI

WERTHEIM: Q&A with Missouri star and NFL draft prospect Michael Sam

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Jon Wertheim
JON WERTHEIM

Jon Wertheim is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated and has been part of the full-time SI writing staff since 1997, largely focusing on the tennis beat , sports business and social issues, and enterprise journalism. In addition to his work at SI, he is a correspondent for "60 Minutes" and a commentator for The Tennis Channel. He has authored 11 books and has been honored with two Emmys, numerous writing and investigative journalism awards, and the Eugene Scott Award from the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Wertheim is a longtime member of the New York Bar Association (retired), the International Tennis Writers Association and the Writers Guild of America. He has a bachelor's in history from Yale University and received a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He resides in New York City with his wife, who is a divorce mediator and adjunct law professor. They have two children.

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