The NFL World Reacts To Michael Sam Announcing He's Gay

AP

The NFL world is largely coming out in support of Michael Sam, who is poised to become the first openly gay NFL player when he's drafted in April.

The league released a statement saying they admired his "honor and courage."

There was an outpouring of support on Twitter. Here's a sampling from past and present players:

Other tweets were supportive, but still problematic. Being gay isn't a "flaw":

There has also been a backlash against Sam.

Sports Illustrated ran an article full of anonymous NFL sources who say the league isn't ready for a gay place. One person, an unnamed player personnel assitant, said a gay player would "chemically imbalance" a locker room.

Player Drayton Florence said the same thing:

The big test will come in April, when Sam is expected to be taken in the middle rounds of the NFL Draft. While he's not a top prospect, there was zero chance Sam wouldn't have been drafted before his announcement. If he slides or drops out of the draft completely, it'd be a huge indictment of the NFL.