With the Bonnie Tyler '80s classic running through our heads, we joyfully choose to ingore the haters and lovingly aim the ShoutOutHealth spotlight on one influential, empowering, kick-ass individual, who's publicly speaking out for LGBT equality. And our latest "Hero" is ...
This column was created for people like Michael Sam. Ironically, unless you're a big college football fan, you may not have eve
n heard of the 6-foot-3, 260-pound senior at The Univeristy of Missouri, until he uttered these historic words to the New York Times: "I'm Michael Sam. I'm a football player and I'm gay."
With that, Sam -- almost universally predicted to be one of the National Football League's top early draft picks this May -- has broken one of sports greatest barriers. Last spring, 12-year N.B.A. veteran Jason Collins' coming out (post-season) caused a sentation, but Sam's announcement breaks new ground, and comes on the heels of straight-ally and former NFL player Chris Kluwe's recent headlines about anti-gay bigotry in the sport.
It's because Sam is at the very start of his professional career, already having been named a first-team all-American, the defensive player of the year in the Southeastern Conference, and also voted Missouri’s most valuable player by his teammates. His presence will surely revolutionize pro team sports and the NFL, which released this statement: