Michael Sam to be on ‘Dancing with the Stars’

Michael Sam to be on ‘Dancing with the Stars’

If this football thing doesn’t work out for Michael Sam, at least he has a fallback plan in place.

According to multiple reports, Sam, the first openly gay man selected in the NFL Draft, will compete on the upcoming season of “Dancing with the Stars” — the show’s 20th season, set to premiere next month.

Hollywoodlife.com confirmed TMZ’s earlier report that Sam would be taking part in the show, and added that other contestants on the hit ABC show will include Rumer Wills, an actress and the oldest daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore; Chris Soules, a former “Bachelor”; actress Willow Shields; LMFAO front man Redfoo, and “a person related to the Kennedys.”

If true, Sam’s participation in the show does put into question his future in the NFL, even for next season. Sam, a defensive end out of Missouri who was taken by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2014 draft, is currently a free agent. He was cut by St. Louis in the final cuts of the preseason, then signed for a brief time to the Cowboys practice squad until Dallas released him, as well. He has yet to play a down in a regular-season NFL game.

In a first-person story for Sports Illustrated recently, Sam said he was training vigorously for the upcoming NFL veterans combine, writing “Through all the ups and downs, though, I’ve remained focused on getting back on an NFL roster.” The potential problem with that? The combine is scheduled for March 22, a week after DWTS premieres.

The show has become a haven for athletes — both current and former — looking to carve out a career in entertainment. NFL Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith are perhaps the most well-known athletes to compete, Rice finishing runner-up in Season 2 and Smith winning Season 3. In the final, Smith took down Lopez, who parlayed his success on the show into a booming career as a game and tabloid TV show host, as well as radio DJ.

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21 Comments

  1. Mitch
    March 03, 05:41 Reply

    Good for him tho. Hope he does better here

    • enigmous
      March 03, 05:44 Reply

      A-non,

      You left the story you were supposed to read and started reading his eyebrows?

      Ok, kontinu. Bye.

      • Dennis Macauley
        March 03, 05:57 Reply

        Pink Panther wrote the “legend of the eye brows”, Michael Sam has nothing on him

      • trystham
        March 03, 07:57 Reply

        Hian!!! Is he shaving the thing or are my eyes beginning to thin hair??? I spent the rest of that day and some after studying Pinkie’s forehead. I dinnor see anything eeee 🙁

        • pinkpanthertb
          March 03, 08:53 Reply

          Leave Dennis let him be giving me body parts God didn’t give me 🙂

      • A-non
        March 03, 21:39 Reply

        @enigmous,how e carry concern you??!!

        You never finish apprenticeship for your aproko work you don dey use me shine…mind yaself o!

        Bad belle people efriwia!

  2. Dennis Macauley
    March 03, 05:46 Reply

    About time; then celebrity apprentice and a cameo appearance on real housewives of atlanta

  3. Max
    March 03, 06:35 Reply

    Good for him… @least he’ll be busy.

  4. King Mufasa
    March 03, 09:29 Reply

    Hian … don’t think I like this development much, I would have preferred he was a successful gay football player, now he’s just fallen into like one of those stereotypes “the GAY football DANCER”.
    I wish him all the best though.

    • Chris
      March 03, 17:30 Reply

      The humble submission by Bisi Alimi came to my mind. , something about counting the cost and thinking about what it takes before coming out.

  5. Gad
    March 03, 10:00 Reply

    We are here. We will be here. Waiting and watching…

  6. Khaleesi
    March 03, 11:41 Reply

    Aww … am rooting for you hun … I hope this works out better for you … There’s something about This guy’s face, so open and warm and honest – he has the looks of a reliable and faithful friend … well, who knows …

  7. Chizzie
    March 03, 15:11 Reply

    its abit sad actually. DWTS is like a who’s who of D-rated stars who do the show cus they arent as relevant anymore or busy and need the money. and Michael fits that criteria to the T!

    • pinkpanthertb
      March 03, 15:27 Reply

      That’s just it. I’d rather he be a gay football player than a gay dancer.

  8. Lothario
    March 08, 09:01 Reply

    Wrong move……everyone knows that DWTS is a last resort at a career relaunch

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