Michael Sam was awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award last night at the ESPYs. The first openly gay player to be drafted into the NFL then stepped to the stage and, as he’s done through this entire process, excelled under an intense spotlight.
Sam paid tribute to Ashe by quoting some of his wisdom before imploring all watching to follow their dreams while remaining true to themselves.
Sage advice.
The St. Louis Rams linebacker got emotional while relating a story about a young woman who said she’d never consider suicide after watching what he’s done.
It was very powerful stuff and a great human moment. More than that, it was exactly what the ESPYs should be: a reminder that sports do matter and are bigger than the game on the field.