R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer
ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher says he was in Michael Sam’s corner from the start and that having the first openly gay player drafted by an NFL team was no distraction at all in training camp.
Fisher says that releasing Sam was purely a football decision.
Fisher believes too much was made of Sam’s orientation and that wherever he lands, it should not be an issue. He had high praise for Sam’s non-stop energy and effort but said there were a lot of tough decisions that made to be made to reach the 53-man roster limit.
Fisher fended off a question about re-signing Sam to the practice squad, saying any roster adjustments would depend on other players now on the market.
The coach personally delivered the news to all of the cuts, except for Sam, who attended Missouri’s opening game and was informed on the phone. Fisher planned to meet with Sam on Sunday.
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