McDermott Capstone / May 2016 10
Ethical Analysis
Michael Sam made history when announcing his sexual identity to the world. However, the NCAA reacted in a way that tells a lot about how gay athletes are treated in college. In the NFL Draft, players are ranked in a mock draft by the NCAA based on current performance in games or combines, and the NCAA dropped Sam's draft stock more than he deserved. The year before he was drafted, Sam was named as an All-American and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year. That being said, why would his draft stock drop so much after the season was over? The obvious answer lies in the fact that the coaches and analists that create the mock draft unjusty. I am a firm believer in getting what you work for. Michael Sam worked hard his entire life to be a possible high draft pick, and to let his sexual orientation change his position in the draft is simply wrong. Everyone deserves the oppertunity they proved they can handle, which Michael Sam did not get. Many judgements of the mock draft creaters went into dropping Sam's stock so much. The stereotype that gay people are not meant for sports, or the assumption that hey would try to have sexual relations with teammates probably distracted them from Sam's talent on the football field. Michael Sam was certainly talented enough to be a top three round draft pick, and his career showed for it. It was unfortunate that the injustices surrounding his sexaulity came before the sport of football.