MONTREAL – The Montreal Alouettes announced today that the club has signed international defensive end Michael Sam to a two-year deal. Sam (6’2’’, 260 lbs.) joins the Alouettes after spending the 2014 season in the National Football League with the St. Louis Rams and the Dallas Cowboys.
The 25-year-old athlete developed his playing abilities with the University of Missouri Tigers in the NCAA. In four seasons with the Tigers, Sam registered an impressive 123 total tackles of which 36 were for losses and 21 total sacks. He also notched two interceptions.
“With the signing of Michael Sam, we have become a better organization today,” said Alouettes’ general manager, Jim Popp. “Not only have we added an outstanding football player, we have added even a better person that brings dignity, character, and heart to our team.”
In his last year with Missouri, he was named on the first-team All-SEC, in addition to receiving joint SEC Defensive Player of the Year honours with CJ Mosley of the University of Alabama. He led the conference with 11.5 total sacks and 21 tackles for losses. He also forced a fumble, which he returned for a touchdown during the Cotton Bowl, helping the Tigers defeat the Oklahoma State University Cowboys by a score of 41-31.
“I am very excited and proud to join the Montreal Alouettes and want to thank team Owner Robert Wetenhall, General Manager Jim Popp and Head Coach Tom Higgins for this opportunity,” declared the Alouettes newest member. “I cannot wait to put on the pads, get back on the field and work hard each and every day with my teammates to bring a Grey Cup to the great fans here in Montreal.”
Following his impressive performance during his senior year, the Galveston, TX native was selected in the fifth round (249th overall) by the Rams during the 2014 NFL Draft. In four pre-season games with St. Louis, Sam collected 11 tackles and three sacks.
When he was picked in the seventh round by St. Louis, President Barack Obama publicly congratulated Sam and the Rams, who made him the first openly gay player to be drafted for their courage, reported The Huffington Post.
CFL commissioner Jeffrey Orridge did the same on Friday.
“Congratulations to the Montreal Alouettes on the signing of Michael Sam,” Orridge said in a statement. “Our players come to us from different places, different walks of life and ultimately they take different paths to get to our fields.
“Today is another indication of how open and progressive the CFL is — consistent with our rich and storied history of great football tradition.”
Not blind to Sam’s celebrity status, the team immediately put his No. 94 Alouettes jersey on sale on their website for $139.95.
