Michael Sam ESPY Acceptance Speech

In 2014, Michael Sam received the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at the ESPYS. The award was in recognition of spending the vast majority of his collegiate career hiding his sexual orientation from his teammates, going onto be one of the top lineman in the Southeastern Conference. Prior to the draft, he came out, risking his stock and millions in the upcoming draft. He ultimately became the first openly gay man to ever be taken in the NFL draft. A shared cultural value that is prevalent in this speech is the fact that Michael rose above adversity. It makes these athletes, who we view as being almost divine, as being relate able and human. Throughout professional sports, there is a taboo to homosexuality, and Michael Sam, as an elite athlete who is openly gay, was able to break that taboo and was praised by many for it.