Los Angeles, CA – At the 2014 ESPY Awards, Michael Sam, the NFL’s first openly gay player, was honored with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.
He gave a very emotional five-minute speech after accepting the award from presenter Dwanye “The Rock” Johnson, where he emphasize on going after your dreams no matter what people say or think.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbvaBB78lkU
“The Arthur Ashe Courage Award is a big honor, one much bigger than just me. This year I had a lot of experience being part of something bigger than myself,” Sam said.
While holding back tears, he talked about the life experiences and hard work that got him to where he was, while quoting the late Arthur Ashe.
“Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can,” he said. “Those were the words to live by, whether you’re black or white, young or old, straight or gay.”
Named SEC’s Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2013 while playing at the University of Missouri, Sam was drafted in the seventh round by the St. Louis Rams during this year’s 2014 NFL Draft.
He concluded his acceptance speech with very special message about being true to yourself:
“To anyone out there, especially young people feeling like you don’t fit in or will never be accepted, great things can happen when you have the courage to be yourself.”
