Michael Sam Joins 'Dancing With the Stars'
Although his college career never brought him the Heisman Trophy, and his brief professional career never got him near a Lombardi Trophy, Michael Sam may be getting closer to the Mirror Ball Trophy.
TMZ reported Monday that Michael Sam, the first openly gay player drafted in professional football, will be part of Season 20 of the popular primetime television ballroom competition "Dancing with the Stars."
The move seems like an unorthodox path for Sam, who was cut from the rosters of the St. Louis Rams and the Dallas Cowboys, to get back on the professional gridiron.
"Through all the ups and downs, though, I've remained focused on getting back on an NFL roster," Sam said in an essay for Sports Illustrated Monday Morning Quarterback.
"Dancing with the Stars" premieres in mid-March. If Sam competes well, he could be tied up with the television competition well into the late Spring. Popist.com points out that it would be difficult imagining a team signing Sam when he has other engagements.
Athletes have always fared well on "Dancing with the Stars." Olympic medalists Apolo Anton Ohno and Kristi Yamaguchi are among the many celebrities who have taken home the coveted mirror ball trophy.