The Rams likely will have a response later today to the report indicating a quid pro quo was reached in 2014 regarding the decision to draft Michael Sam and an exemption from HBO’s Hard Knocks. Until then, it makes sense to take a look at what coach Jeff Fisher had to say about this back at the time.
“Absolutely not,” Fisher told Dan Patrick in May 2014 regarding whether the NFL encouraged the Rams to take Sam with the 249th pick in a 256-player draft. “We had no contact with the league office on any player whatsoever.”
Fisher emphasized that the decision was driven by football considerations only.
“In Michael’s case, it was the production on the field,” Fisher said. “He was the SEC co-Defensive Player of the Year. You can’t neglect his production. That’s why he’s a Ram.”
Sam wasn’t a Ram for long, but that’s not the point. Seventh-round draft picks routinely get cut, and many of them never land elsewhere.
Still, Sam could have fully embraced the opportunity to parlay a CFL career into a shot at thriving in the NFL. Others who initially failed at the NFL level did just that.
