Michael Sam signs with Montreal Alouettes in 2015

Football fans are excited about the Montréal Alouettes much-anticipated 2015 season, especially since the Canadian Football League team has signed international defensive end Michael Sam to a two-year deal, welcoming the openly-gay athlete in a city famed for embracing gay life and the city’s LGBT communities.

In 2014 Sam became the first openly-gay football player in history to be drafted by a National Football League team. But after not being signed by an NFL franchise in 2015 – which many observers blame on homophobia – the Montréal Alouettes seized the moment and signed Sam, making history once again, as the first openly-gay athlete in the CFL. The pioneering athlete will play in the same city where black-civil-rights icon Jackie Robinson broke pro baseball’s colour barrier, with the Montreal Royals in 1946.

When asked about comparisons to Robinson, Sam says, “I’m not trying to do anything historical, except help Montréal win some games. I have a responsibility to show respect for the game and handle myself the right way, carry myself the right way, so that future athletes gay or straight can be inspired by what I’m doing. I’ve been training and I’m ready to go.”

Sam arrived at the Alouettes training camp at Bishop’s University on May 27. The team plays two pre-season games (June 13 in Ottawa and June 18 in Toronto) before kicking-off the regular season against the Ottawa Redblacks at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium at McGill University on June 25. Alouettes fans will get many opportunities to cheer on their team early on in the season, when the club will play three of its first four games at home.

Sam says he is happy to be in Montréal, a city renowned for its diversity, tolerance and large LGBT community. “This is my first time to Montreal, so if you see me downtown, please stop me to say hello,” says Sam. “I’ve heard a lot about the history of this city, I know the first language here is French, so I’ve got to learn more. I’m excited to be here.”

The Alouettes’ 18-game regular season winds down with a Montréal home game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on November 8.

When told the LGBT community is excited to have him in town, Sam said he also hopes his suiting up as a Montréal Alouette (his No. 94 jersey is already on sale) will draw more LGBT football fans to Montréal home games. Says Sam, “I’m excited to be here and look forward to their support in our drive to win a Grey Cup.”

Montréal Alouettes info and tickets: 514-787-2525 or http://en.montrealalouettes.com/page/season-tickets