There has been plenty of reaction to the announcement earlier this week by Missouri defensive end Michael Sam. Sam, now heading to the NFL Draft, announced to the world he is gay and praised his teammates and coaches for supporting him and letting him break the news on his terms. Some opinions have been somewhat rough depending on who you ask when discussing Sam’s potential NFL future, but Alabama’s HaHa Clinton-Dix says Sam would have fit in just fine with the Crimson Tide.
“If he comes out and makes plays for us and we win, I’m happy, I’m proud,” Clinton-Dix said during an interview on ESPN’s SportsNation according to AL.com. “What he does off the field, that’s up with him. I don’t think he would have a problem in the locker room.”
Sam was the SEC’s co-defensive player of the year after leading the conference in sacks and tackles for a loss. He played a key role in Missouri going 11-1 in the regular season and playing for the SEC championship. Projected by many to be a mid-round draft pick, whether or not Sam is even drafted has become a topic of conversation.
Clinton-Dix’s comments echoed similar sentiments shared by former Alabama punter Cody Mandell, who called Sam’s announcement courageous and fended off negative criticism on Twitter, again according to AL.com. Sam’s own father seems to be struggling with the news.
Wherever Sam ends up, hopefully he is surrounded by teammates who will be as mature, open and understanding about the situation as he was at Missouri and may have been at Alabama.