Michael Sam makes Canadian Football League debut

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) Michael Sam became the first openly gay player to appear in a Canadian Football League game Friday night, playing sparingly for the Montreal Alouettes in a 26-23 loss to the Ottawa Redblacks.

The 25-year-old defensive end failed to record a tackle.

The 2013 Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year at Missouri, Sam was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh and final round of the 2014 NFL draft. He was cut by St. Louis and signed by Dallas to the practice squad, but failed to make the Cowboys' roster.

Sam agreed to a two-year deal with the Alouettes this summer. He left training camp June 12, citing personal reasons, and sat out the team's first five games.